Khaleda Zia set to form Govt.

DHAKA, OCT. 3. The former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, began the process of forming a new Government after her four-party alliance gained a resounding win in the national elections. Begum Zia has started meeting leaders of her allies to discuss the Cabinet seats.

Sheikh Hasina, her defeated rival, said the tallies of Monday's balloting were ``fake and manipulated.'' She demanded fresh elections even as foreign observers said that the elections, supervised by a neutral caretaker administration, were free and fair.

The Election Commission announced on Wednesday that Begum Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and allies had won 202 seats of the 283 where voting was completed. Results from 16 seats have been held up because repolling will be necessary at 130 centres where voting was postponed because of violence. No date has been set for the repolling, but it must be done before October 15, the deadline for Parliament to approve the new Prime Minister.

Claiming victory, Begum Zia told a news conference on Tuesday that religion would not play a part in her administration.

Sheikh Hasina's Awami League trailed with 62 seats, a big drop from the 146 she won in 1996 elections, a surprise to experts who had predicted a close vote.

The Awami League demanded re-election in all the 300 constituencies.

- AP, UNI

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Section  : International
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