JP members skip cabinet meeting
Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad on Monday said he has asked his party candidates for the general elections to withdraw their nomination papers by December 13.
“The election now seems meaningless without the participation of the opposition parties,” he said while talking to reporters at his Baridhara residence. The JP chief said he had expected that the opposition would ultimately take part in polls.
Replying to a question about the offer of 100 parliamentary seats to JP at a Ganabhaban meeting Ershad said: “It matters little now. I will not take part in the polls even if I am offered 100 or 200 seats…”
The former president claimed that JP ministers could not tender their resignation despite several attempt over the past three days. “The prime minister was not available for an appointment and there was no one at the Prime Minister’s Office to receive their (ministers) resignation letters,” he said.
The former President alleged that a smokescreen had been created over the resignation of his party ministers and state ministers. The six JP ministers did not even join Monday’s cabinet meeting at the Secretariat.
Ershad said his party ministers and lone adviser on Sunday sent their resignation letters to the prime minister by post.
Ershad had earlier announced that his party would not take part in the January 5 polls as there was no congenial atmosphere for holding an acceptable election.
A day after the announcement he asked his party’s leaders to quit the polls-time cabinet.
-With The Independent input
