Dhaka, Dec 17 (BDNEWS) – As pressure mounts high on Jatiya Party chairman Hussain Muhammad Ershad to join the ruling four-party alliance and form an electoral unity for the next general elections, the former military ruler opted for making dillydally.
The former military ruler has called for a parliamentary party meeting of his party Sunday to take decision on the matter.
Despite the JP chairman has taken time to announce whether he would join the ruling coalition or the opposition camp till a grand rally scheduled to be held March next year, a good number of sources said there would be no decision. "Ershad may take more time till November next year from the grand rally," sources said.
A faction of the JP led by Rawshan Ershad, who is known to be soft towards the alliance government, wants Ershad to deliver speech from a same podium of the grand rally of BNP on December 21.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had around a 10-minute parley with the former military ruler, mediated by Rawshan Ersad, on December 13 after holding national dialogue on the militancy issue.
Sources said, the prime Minister requested Ershad to join the grand rally on December 21 while the former president sought time till March, 2006. Ershad had earlier told his leaders and workers that he would make an announcement in this regard in March.
The party has sharply been divided into two factions over the issue- one led by Rawshan Ershad and the other by GM Kader, younger brother of Ershad, who took position against such an announcement.
GM Kader has already been served with a show cause notice and a preparation is on to expel him from the party for his press statements.
GM Kader, however, denied that he would be expelled from the party and said, "I was asked to reply to the show cause in which it was said my speeches went against the party discipline and accordingly I replied in writing on December 13 in which I expressed the opinions of leaders and activists of the party and common people to the party chairman."
Sources said the faction led by Rawshan Ershad forced the JP chairman to join the dialogue pointing their fingers towards the pending cases against Ershad.
JP's proposal to expel Jamaat from the alliance was also dropped from the proposed talking points between the PM and the party, which ignited GM Kader. The GM Kader-led faction has reportedly been in touch with the opposition alliance.
The sources said Ershad and JP leaders, by the time, would observe the political situation prevailing in the country and goodwill and sincerity of the government with regard to withdrawal of cases against Ershad.
Simultaneously they will keep bargaining with the opposition alliance. The JP will choose its alliance depending on the overall development in the political scenario of the country, said the sources.
Several central leaders wishing anonymity told BDNEWS that the support of the people under current circumstances has already tilted towards the opposition alliance. The government is now under heavy pressure on different issues especially the militant issue.
In a bid to overcome the situation, the government adopted a new strategy to strengthen the alliance by incorporating JP in the alliance than deducting Jamaat, which would give the coalition a new momentum, but tantamount to suicide for JP, according to JP sources.
Given all these facts, JP is more likely to join the opposition alliance than the ruling one, opined the leaders.
It is not yet decided which alliance the JP is going to join, GM Kader said, adding that the party chairman will announce the decision in March after a discussion in the party forum.
Regarding joining the dialogue, he said the JP chairman was the first who proposed for talks. When the PM offered a dialogue, he joined, but still the JP thinks the dialogue without AL will be meaningless.
BDNEWS/1948 hrs
