"The president-cum-chief adviser has kept the administration and all ministries concerned with elections mainly under him only to establish dictatorship and hold absolute power. Thus he is creating obstructions to holding free and fair polls," 14-party Coordinator and AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told at a press conference at AL's Dhanmondi office.

On the president's speech Wednesday concerning the armed forces' role in the next elections, Jalil said he made the speech with a motive. Describing the armed force as pride of the nation, the 14-party leader asked Iajuddin not to make them controversial 'only to meet a particular party's political agenda'.

Jalil alleged that partisan activities of the president, who has become the CA violating the constitution, are major barriers to the administration's neutral activities. "He (president) knows very well that if the administration and he himself work properly, the BNP-led previous government's agenda will not be fulfilled," he said.

The CA is not giving the council of advisers any scope to function properly. For this, he has become convenor of the administration-related sub-committee out of the six sub-committees formed by the CG, Jalil said.

Demanding implementation of the 11-point task put forward by the 14-party within 48 hours to create a congenial atmosphere for holding free and fair polls, Jalil warned that otherwise the entire country would be brought to a standstill by enforcing blockade programmes.

Terming Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz a 'liar', the 14-party coordinator demanded that the president remove him on 'moral grounds for his blatant lying'. One adviser to the CG said he met Aziz but the latter denied, Jalil mentioned.

He also accused Aziz of taking a stand against the people to fulfil the agenda of BNP-Jamaat. A free and fair election could not be held under him, he said.

On the CG's move to recover illegal arms, Jalil expressed fears that it might be used for political purposes such as harassing leaders and workers of the AL and its allies.

He demanded a drastic change both in the civil and police l administration for creating a congenial atmosphere for a free and fair election. This is also a must for recovery of illegal arms, he added.

In an apparent challenge to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia for stubbornly opposing reconstitution of the EC, Jalil asked the president to restructure it and then see what the people want.

The AL stalwart also blamed the president for asking the EC secretary to go on with publishing the voter list, saying he (president) had earlier promised to postpone publication of the 'fake' voter list.

Those present at the press briefing included senior 14-party leaders Tofail Ahmed, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Suranjit Sengupta, Matia Chowdhury, Obaidul Quader, Hasanul Haque Inu, Abdul Mannan, Abdur Rahman, Bimal Biswas, Nurul Islam and Dilip Barua.