Chairman Hussein Muhammad Ershad has said Jatiya Party will go to
general elections if the schedule is extended by 10 days and
participation of all political parties ensured.
He revealed the latest twist in his tale to reporters around 8pm on
Friday at his President Park residence in Dhaka’s Baridhara.
“My ministers met the Prime Minister yesterday (Thursday). They have
requested the Prime Minister to extend the polls schedule by 10 more
days.”
“I will take part in the election if the schedule is extended and it
is ensured that all parties will join polls,” Ershad said as his tiny
dramas continued to mirror his struggle with the balance shifting
daily.
Jatiya Party candidates had filed nominations on Dec 2 to contest in
the Jan 5 national election. Ershad also submitted nomination papers
to run for Dhaka-17, Lalmonirhat-1 and Rangpur-3 constituencies.
However, the former military dictator the following day announced his
decision to not contest the polls as the opposition BNP and its allies
boycotted the polls.
He also claimed there was no ‘suitable environment’ for the
parliamentary polls to take place.
Ershad on Wednesday had also told his party ministers in the Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina-led ‘all-party’ interim government to resign.
Five of them tendered their resignation letters to him on Thursday.
They are Health and Family Welfare Minister Rowshan Ershad, Civil
Aviation and Tourism Minister ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, State Minister
for Youth and Sports Mojibul Haque Chunnu, Commerce Minister Ghulam
Muhammed Quader and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs
Salma Islam.
But Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and Prime Minister’s
Advisor Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu are yet to submit their resignation
letters, Ershad said.
Responding to a question, he said, “I haven’t got their resignation
letters in hand, but hope to get them anytime.”
He also dismissed speculations about a rift, saying “There is no
internal feud in my party.”
However, Jatiya Party Presidium members Mahmud and Bablu had met
Hasina at Ganabhaban on Tuesday night, hours after Ershad had
retreated from the decision to contest election.
Party activists had also shouted slogans against Mahmud when he had
gone to meet Ershad at his residence on Thursday night.
Later on the same night, Ershad said that he would forward the letters
to President Md Abdul Hamid on Saturday. – bdnews24,com
