Zillur Rahman set to be Bangladesh's 19th president

Dhaka - Senior Awami League leader Zillur Rahman is set to be the 19th president of Bangladesh as the election authorities Monday validated his lone nomination for the presidential race, officials said. 'We are awaiting the formal declaration,' Abdul Shahid, the chief whip of Bangladesh parliament, said after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, who is the returning officer for the presidential election. Huda said that Zillur was the only candidate. After scrutiny the commission will formally announce his presidency on February 11, the last day for withdrawal of candidature for the election, voting for which is scheduled for February 16. But the election authorities found only one nomination paper submitted for the post and it was valid. Therefore, there is no need of voting, election officials said. Bangladesh's constitutional provisions stipulate an electoral collage, comprising members of 300-strong parliament, elect the president through open vote if there is more than one candidate. There was no candidate from the opposition parties, which have only 31 out of 300 parliamentary seats. Zillur Rahma, a 79-year old League veteran, will replace Iajuddin Ahmed, the outgoing president, whose tenure expired in 2007. But the election could not be held because of a military takeover followed by promulgation of state of emergency in early January 2007. Bangladesh returned to a democratic system early this year following its landmark December 29 general elections, in which Awami League-led alliance of Sheikh Hasina Wazed won a landslide victory. Bangladesh has elected 18 presidents since its independence in 1971. Zillur played a vital role in keeping the party united during the absence of party chief Hasina during the two years of army-backed government, when she was in exile and later arrested on corruption charges. He was elected was elected deputy leader of parliament by the Awami League party immediately after its election victory. 'We hope the country will be more prosperous under the leadership of the new president,' said the chief whip of parliament.