Making a U-turn again, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Tuesday announced that his party will boycott the 10th parliamentary polls slated for January 5 next. “I had said earlier that I would boycott the polls if all the parties don’t take part in it. So, I would like to live up to my promise. Jatiya Party wouldn’t take part as all the political parties are not there in the election,” he told a press conference at his Banani party office. The former military ruler, known for his frequent somersaults, said his party would take part in the polls in the future only if all parties join it. Ershad asked the party leaders to withdraw their nomination papers who have already submitted that to contest the polls. In reply to a question about the ministers of all-party government from his party, the Jatiya Party chairman said he would come up with details later. “The ministers have joined the government to oversee the polls. Now the party decides not to join the election. They’ll quit it if the election doesn’t take place,” he added. Earlier, on November 18, Ershad deserted the Awami League-led grand alliance and urged BNP to join the general election to save the country and maintain the democratic process. On the same day, six ministers and two state ministers, including five ministers and a state minister from Jatiya Party, took oath to oversee the next general election. According to Election Commission secretariat sources, 265 candidates from Jatiya Party have submitted nominations papers to vie for the 10th parliamentary polls.
The Opposition BNP on Tuesday welcomed Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad’s decision of boycotting the January 5 parliamentary elections. In a statement, BNP spokesperson Salauddin Ahmed also called upon the government to roll back its plan to hold a unilateral election by postponing the election schedule declared earlier. Salauddin, also a BNP joint secretary general, hoped that the other parties submitted nomination papers to contest the polls will also withdraw their candidatures of their candidates. Earlier in the day, Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad announced that his party will boycott the 10th parliamentary polls slated for January 5 next. According to a primary account of the Election Commission secretariat, a total of 1,069 aspirants, including 242 independent ones, submitted their nomination papers to contest the general election. Sources at the EC said 245 candidates from Jatiya Party have submitted nominations papers to vie for the 10th parliamentary polls. On November 25, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad declared the election schedule for the national election. As per the schedule, the deadline for nomination submission expired on Monday while last date of withdrawal of candidature is December 13. – UNB
