AL yet to reach accord with JP, LDP
Awami League (AL) is yet to finalise sharing of seats with any components of the grand electoral alliance including Jatiya Party (JP) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) while the last date for filing nominations for the December 29 parliamentary election expires tomorrow.
The party has completed seat-sharing with three of its allies in the 14-party combine, now reduced to a nine-party coalition. Of the three, Workers' Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal got three seats each while Gonotantri Party got one.
Sources said leaders of these three parties have become frustrated over such a sharing of seats and are negotiating with the AL high ups for more seats.
Leaders of the AL and JP yesterday held a meeting at AL President Sheikh Hasina's political office at Dhanmondi from 11:00am to 6:00pm but failed to reach a consensus on the number of seats for JP. They will sit again today at 11:00am.
Sources said both the parties decided that they would not disclose their sharing of seats before expiry of the last date of submitting nomination papers.
JP leaders will consult party Chairman HM Ershad before sitting with AL leaders today.
Talking to reporters, JP acting chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, who led a two-member party delegation to the meeting with AL yesterday, said they reviewed the issue of 50 seats for their party. "We will sit again tomorrow [today] and finalise the matter."
An LDP delegation led by party Secretary General Jahanara Begum also went to the AL president's office but returned as AL leaders told the team they had another meeting.
Some sources said the LDP might not stay with the AL-led grand alliance finally. The AL asked it to file nominations in all the 300 constituencies, which made it uncertain if the party would remain in the alliance, the sources added.
Talking to The Daily Star, JP Presidium Member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, who was in the party delegation at yesterday's meeting, said, "We have completed ground work for reaching a consensus over seat-sharing and hope to finalise it tomorrow [today]."
Jahanara Begum said their party sought 20 seats but the matter has not been finalised. "We went to the Awami League president's office but they [AL leaders] did not sit with us saying they had another meeting."
Asked whether the LDP plans to forge alliance with any parties other than the AL, she said they have not thought about it yet. "We are waiting for a meeting with Awami League.”
Comments