Not possible to share more than seven seats: Quader
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said it is not possible for the ruling party to share more than seven seats with its 14-party alliance partners.
"We informed them yesterday that we can sacrifice 'boat' [AL's electoral symbol] in seven constituencies. We have to convince other partners of the alliance. But it is not possible for us to go beyond that," he said while briefing reporters at the AL president's Dhanmondi office in the capital.
Speaking about the alliance partner's demand to withdraw "AL's independent" candidates, Quader said, "Elections will be competitive ... If the independents win, we will not forcibly take away anyone's victory."
Asked whether the partners have been seeking guarantees that they would win, the AL General Secretary said, "We cannot guarantee victory to anyone. I am the general secretary of Awami League and I have no guarantee of winning. Four contenders are contesting against me. If anyone wins here, I have to accept the defeat."
Yesterday, the 14-party alliance Coordinator Amir Hossain Amu announced that seven seats will be shared with three of AL's allies.
Soon after the announcement, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal chief Hasanul Haq Inu in a video message last night said his party did not agree to the AL's decision on seat-sharing.
He requested the ruling party to reconsider its decision and withdraw the "AL independents" from the seats to be shared with the alliance partners.
About Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Quader at the briefing said it was echoing the language of BNP.
"A total of 28 parties are participating in the election, so why would this election not be participatory? TIB is the bearer of BNP's ideology...
"I would like to know from the TIB, what does participatory election mean? Has the TIB become the supporter or a unit of the BNP that they are speaking the same language as BNP," he added.
Stating that elections are the life of democracy, Quader said the government was committed to hold a free and fair election at any cost.
He also said the Awami League welcomes the action taken by the Election Commission.
He said when nominations of ruling party candidates were cancelled, they did not try to manipulate the decision.
"And we will not do so," Quader added.
AL Organising Secretaries Mirza Azam, Sujit Roy Nandi, BM Mozammel Haque, and Office Secretary Biplab Barua were present there among others.
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