AL, JP fail to agree on seat sharing
Sunday, 30 November 2008
Despite two days of dialogue between the Awami League (AL) and the Jatiya Party (JP), the two key components of the grand alliance couldn't yet finalise seat sharing for the upcoming parliament elections, reports UNB.
Acting chairman of the JP Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, after a meeting with AL president Sheikh Hasina at her residence Saturday evening, said they were hopeful of settling the issue of seat sharing this (Sunday) morning.
Sunday is the last date for submitting nomination for the December 29 general election in the process of transition from the interim regime installed through the 1/11, 2007 changeover following a political crisis over the elections previously set for January 22 but eventually cancelled.
Earlier in the morning, Anisul Islam Mahmud and another senior JP leader, Ziauddin Bablu, sat with AL Election Operation Committee at the party's Dhanmondi office. The meeting continued until afternoon, but failed to reach any consensus on the arithmetic of seats to be shared in the 300-seat parliament.
Anisul Islam Mahmud at Sudha Sadan said JP was going to get over 40 seats from the alliance-kingpin AL.
Besides, it also had been settled that JP chief Hussain Mohammad Ershad would contest the polls from three constituencies in Dhaka, Rangpur and Kurigram.
Meanwhile, AL leaders with Sheikh Hasina in the chair sat at the Dhanmondi office, and the meeting was in progress till the time of filing this report.
Acting chairman of the JP Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud, after a meeting with AL president Sheikh Hasina at her residence Saturday evening, said they were hopeful of settling the issue of seat sharing this (Sunday) morning.
Sunday is the last date for submitting nomination for the December 29 general election in the process of transition from the interim regime installed through the 1/11, 2007 changeover following a political crisis over the elections previously set for January 22 but eventually cancelled.
Earlier in the morning, Anisul Islam Mahmud and another senior JP leader, Ziauddin Bablu, sat with AL Election Operation Committee at the party's Dhanmondi office. The meeting continued until afternoon, but failed to reach any consensus on the arithmetic of seats to be shared in the 300-seat parliament.
Anisul Islam Mahmud at Sudha Sadan said JP was going to get over 40 seats from the alliance-kingpin AL.
Besides, it also had been settled that JP chief Hussain Mohammad Ershad would contest the polls from three constituencies in Dhaka, Rangpur and Kurigram.
Meanwhile, AL leaders with Sheikh Hasina in the chair sat at the Dhanmondi office, and the meeting was in progress till the time of filing this report.