Rawshan reiterates she is acting chief of JP

FE Team | Published: July 08, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Jatiya Party (JP) leader Rawshan Ershad Saturday said she was the acting chairman of the party as she had the highest organisational position in it after Ershad in line with the JP constitution.
Rawshan, wife of former president Hussain Muhammad Ershad, said she planned to retire from politics after handing over leadership at the next council, reports bdnews24.com.
Her remarks came a day after JP Acting Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud, who was appointed by Ershad, said that Rawshan was the self-proclaimed acting chairman of the party.
In a telephone interview, Rawshan said: "The power of the chairman as provided by the party constitution has created an autocratic situation. It's not acceptable that the chairman should appoint anybody using that power. Section 46 of the constitution is now invalid. Nobody abides by it."
In another interview, Mahmud said Rawshan was a self-styled leader. The party constitution did not allow her to declare herself the acting chief. She had worked completely against the party constitution, he added.
Rawshan declared herself the acting chief of the JP from a press conference at her Gulshan home in the city on June 26.
She also rolled out a 13-point plan to overhaul the party to curb the powers of Ershad.
Ershad immediately protested the announcement and hastily held a press conference hours after the one addressed by Rawshan.
On June 30, Ershad appointed Anisul Islam Mahmud acting chairman of the embattled party saying that he would continue as party chairman until the next council.
Rawshan said: "A review of my role and position in the party will tell you who deserves to replace Ershad".
She stressed reforms to the party. "In this century, one can't cling on to the chairman's post till death. Ershad was JP chairman for 21 years. It's not acceptable. I proposed that he be the chief adviser of the party, but he refused."
Rawshan said that wrong decisions had split the party in the past. She wanted the party to be united, she added.
She also stressed an amendment to the country's Constitution to strike a balance of power between the President and the Prime Minister. "At present, the president is powerless. It should not be."
The JP leader put forward a five-point recommendation to make parliament effective.
According to her proposal, the Speaker after being elected would have to cut party ties. Article 70 of the Constitution should be amended to ensure freedom of speech of the lawmakers in parliament. There must be a provision allowing lawmakers to speak and vote freely on all proposals excluding the motions of no-confidence, national security matters and the finance bill.
Rawshan said that the patriotic army had saved the country from what she termed a looming civil war by cooperating with the interim government.