Party now says cabinet members hand resignation letters to PM today
Speculations and rumours over Jatiya Party’s stance on joining the parliament election were still rife on Saturday with Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader now saying that party members in the cabinet will submit resignation letters to the prime minister on Sunday. Party Chairman HM Ershad, who on Tuesday in a dramatic U-turn announced to boycott the national polls scheduled for January 5, told reporters on Friday that JP members in the poll-time cabinet would hand over resignation letters on Saturday.
“We could not submit the resignation letters today (Saturday) due to the weekend. We will submit resignation letters of JP ministers, state ministers and adviser to the prime minister on Sunday,” Hawlader told reporters at Ershad’s Baridhara residence ‘President Park’.
Ershad’s brother and Jatiya Party Presidium Member GM Quader, who was standing beside the secretary general during the briefing, said he is yet to withdraw his nomination paper for the election.
Earlier at noon, Ershad, who has had records of swinging between contradictory decisions, said his party Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader would go to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to submit resignation letters of five ministers from Jatiya Party.
Brushing aside all speculations over making his wife Rawshan acting party chairman, HM Ershad said he is the party chief and will remain so as long as he remains alive.
“I am HM Ershad still the chairman of JP. There is no possibility to handover the party power to any one,” said Ershad.
Rawshan, the former first lady, who has been made health affairs minister in the poll-time government, has reportedly been maintaining contacts with government along with party leaders Anisul Islam Mahmud, the water resources minister, and Ziauddin Bablu, who has been made an adviser to the prime minister.
Reiterating his Friday’s decision on boycotting the upcoming elections, Ershad said, “The government should extend the time for submission of nomination papers by 10 more days and the government should ensure the participation of all political parties in the elections.”
“I am firm on my decision about not taking part in the election unless our demands are met,” said the former
military ruler.
Earlier at about 6 in the morning, the former president told his party activists, who stayed vigilant around his residence since last Wednesday, that the government may send him to jail.
“They (government) can send me to jail. But I will not spare anybody, I will go to jail with 8-10 persons with me,” he told his activists, some of whom requested him not to change his decision.
Ershad, a former chief of Army Staff, threatened to commit suicide after he resurfaced on Wednesday. “If anyone tries to arrest me, I will commit suicide, I have four pistols and all are loaded,” he told reporters when law enforcers cordoned off his house.
Ershad remained untraceable for 26 hours after he made the announcement on Tuesday to quit the polls that followed ‘dramatic events’ centering around Jatiya Party stance over the election.
Ershad quit the Awami League-led Grand Alliance on November 18 and on the same day, seven Party leaders were inducted in the poll-time cabinet formed to oversee the parliamentary polls.
In the 9th national parliament, Jatiya Party has 27 seats.
-With The Independent input
