Says JP won’t join JS polls if any political party boycotts
Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad has strongly protested Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam’s statement over JP’s remaining in the AL-led grand alliance and joining the next parliamentary election.
Terming Ashraf’s statement as “untrue” and “baseless”, the former dictator said today he was shocked to know what the AL leader briefed journalists after their meeting last night.
Ershad convened a press conference at the party’s Banani office in the morning today to give his reaction hours after his party’s meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Gonobhaban over the polls-time government and subsequent press briefing by the AL general secretary last night.
“During last night’s meeting, there was no discussion on whether Jatiya Party would participate in the general election staying with the grand alliance after leaving it.”
“But I was surprised after to read Syed Ashraf misleading statement in today’s newspapers,” the Ershad claimed, expressing hope that the AL leader would withdraw his statement.
During Sunday night’s briefing, Ashraf said JP would compete against the AL in the next election if BNP boycotted the polls; otherwise, the AL-led grand alliance would remain intact.
Talking on this today, Ershad said his party would not participate in the next general election if all the political parties of the country do not take part in it.
“The election will not be acceptable if all political parties do not take part in it. Then why will we participate in the election?”
He said the election will not be impartial if PM Sheikh Hasina remains as the chief of the polls-time government.
“We do not hold election to empower anybody. We will take part in election independently…We want to show our popularity taking part in the election independently,” he added.
Ershad said his party has not got anything from the grand alliance.
“Our existence is at a stake,” he said.
Jatiya Party has already selected candidates for the next JS polls, Ershad said.
He also expressed doubt about the sincerity of the Election Commission.
“A fair election is not possible under the incumbent EC,” he observed.
Source: The Daily Star
