[ALOCHONA] AL, JP yet to settle seat sharing dispute

AL, JP yet to settle seat sharing dispute

New Age 30/11/08  

 

The Awami League has not yet finalised seat sharing arrangement with the Jatiya Party but completed distribution of constituencies among the rest of its allies hoping that it would be able to announce the final list of the ‘grand’ alliance candidature before the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.
After an inconclusive meeting with the AL, leaders of the Jatiya Party met at the residence of its chairman HM Ershad Saturday night to review the situation.
The party announced after the meeting that it would file nominations for all 300 parliamentary constituencies today, the last date for filing nomination papers, but did not elaborate.
The Awami League and Jatiya Party held a series of meetings over the last two days but could not finalise seat sharing arrangement for the parliamentary polls.
Jatiya Party’s acting chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud and presidium member Ziauddin Bablu talked with AL leaders at Sheikh Hasina’s Dhanmnodi office and later had a meeting with the AL chief at her Sudha Sadan residence Saturday evening.
AL leaders Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Matia Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and Syed Ashraful Islam were present at the Sudha Sadan meeting.
After the meeting AL spokesperson Syed Ashraful Islam said the AL-led alliance would contest the polls, scheduled for December 29, as it was committed to restoration of democracy. The alliance will form a coalition government, if voted to power, he added.
He hoped that the AL-led alliance would come to power if the polls were free and fair.
Anisul Islam told reporters that the issue of seat sharing with Awami League would be settled shortly.
Ashraful said the nation was shocked and stunned by the decision of its arch-rival BNP to nominate persons like Abdus Salam Pintu, who was under trial for his alleged involvement in the August 21, 2004 grenade attacks on an Awami League rally.
‘After the January 11, 2007 changeover, everybody in the country hoped that all political parties would act responsibly and nominate honest and non-controversial candidates and persons free from corruption for the elections’, Ashraful said.
‘I would like to ask the BNP actually what does it want. Does it want restoration of democracy and peace or to push the country to the brink of a civil war?’ He hoped that the BNP would refrain from giving nomination to those who were facing criminal charges and who were involved in corruption, plunder of public money and killing of people.
Anisul Islam said, ‘The Awami League-led alliance must finalise its list of candidates soon. If it is held up till December 11 [last day for withdrawal of candidacy], the candidates will have only 18 days for preparation and campaign, which is not sufficient’, he viewed.
He told New Age that the JP still hoped it would get some 50 constituencies from the ‘grand’ alliance and an AL presidium member also told New Age that an understanding with the JP over seat sharing was a must indicating that the AL might concede to the JP’s demand for a few more seats.
Later Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon and politburo member Fazley Hossain Badsha met with Hasina at her Dhanmondi office. At the meeting Hasina assured the WP leaders that Badsha would get Rajshahi-2 constituency from the alliance, meeting sources said.
The Awami League, meanwhile, changed ten of its nominations. Ashraf Ali Khan has been nominated for Netrakona-2 constituency instead of Col (retd) Nur Khan, Shafi Ahmed for Netrakona-4 replacing Rebeka Momen, Shafiqual Azam Khan Chanchal for Jhenidah-2 instead of Nabi Newaz, Anwarul Azim Anar for Jhenidah-4 instead of Abdul Mannan and Shamsul Alam Dudu for Jaipurhut-1 instead of Khaza Shamsul.
Junaid Ahmed Palak got AL ticket for Natore-3 constituency replacing Hanif Ali Sheikh, Khaledur Rahman Teto for Jessore-3 instead of Ali Reza Raju, Ishtiaque Ahmed for Jamalpur-1 replacing Abul Kalam Azad, Azizul Huque Chowdhury for Dinajpur-6 instead of Abu Hanif Sarker and Tajul Islam Faruq for Rajshahi-5 instead of Abdul Wadud Dara.
On Friday the party changed four of its nominations for Manikganj-2, Rajshahi-2, Cox’s Bazar-4, and Pirojpur-2 constituencies.

 

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