A spokesman for the US State Department made the remarks in Washington on Tuesday in response to a query about his views on electoral process in Bangladesh and the March 28 comments of US Ambassador Harry K Thomas in Dhaka on Bangladesh's politics.

Thomas said the US government likes to see stability in Bangladesh with the ruling BNP running its full term to 2006 unless parliament brings it down.

His comments came after the main opposition Awami League set April 30 as the deadline for fall of the government.

The briefing text supplied by the US embassy here says: "The United States supports the right of the people of Bangladesh to select their leaders within the political framework of their constitution. We do not favour any particular party in the political process."

"We do not support extra-constitutional efforts, including disruptive actions and violence designed to remove a democratically-elected government."

The spokesman agreed with Thomas that the political opposition should only use constitutional means to advance its agenda.