DHAKA, Bangladesh - Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia quickly sought to put to rest worries that Bangladesh might become an Islamic state, after a preliminary count in parliamentary elections handed her four-party coalition a resounding victory on Tuesday.
``An Islamic republic was not an alliance pledge,'' Zia told a crowded news conference on Tuesday. She said religion would play no part in her government, despite her alliance with three Islamic parties.
Experts had predicted a close race in this poor, Muslim-majority country located between India and Myanmar. But unofficial results gave Zia's coalition 203 of 299 parliamentary seats, with ballots for all but 17 seats counted, state television reported. The Awami League of Sheikh Hasina trailed with 61 seats.
According to the preliminary figures, the 203 seats held by Zia's coalition included 17 representatives from the Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, who want to replace Bangladesh's secular laws with Islamic law.
It was unclear how the results would affect Bangladesh's policies toward the United States, including its support for the U.S. campaign against terrorism, a decision taken by the caretaker administration that supervised elections. Bangladesh has granted the use of its airspace and other help for potential U.S. military strikes on Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and his training camps in Afghanistan (news - web sites).
Yet Jamaat does not consider bin Laden a terrorist even though he is the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
Hasina immediately challenged the count, claiming massive vote-rigging and irregularities and harassment of her party's supporters. However, foreign observers sent by international agencies and donor governments called the election free, fair and peaceful, despite the violence that plagued campaigning.
Zia, 56, urged supporters to refrain from street celebrations to avoid clashes with their defeated rivals. She also dismissed Hasina's claims of rigging.
``At this moment we all need peace, stability and patience. Now is not the time for division, but unity to develop the country,'' Zia said, which was not attended by any of her alliance partners. ``Our priority would be to eradicate corruption, terrorism and poverty.''
Zia last served as prime minister twice between 1991 and 1996. She was the first woman to become the country's premier. If it wins, Zia's coalition would have until Oct. 15 to form a new government and select the country's next prime minister.
Small, nonaligned parties or independents won 18 seats, state television said. Voting for the 300th seat was halted after a candidate died before Monday's vote. Official results weren't expected until Wednesday.
Hasina, 54, who left office in July, was the country's only prime minister to have completed a full, five-year term. Both Zia and Hasina support a free-market economy in Bangladesh, but that is where their similarities end.
The two are fierce rivals and disputes between their parties have routinely triggered violence and shut down the country.