12th national polls- Govt will have no acceptability as election was controlled: GM Quader
Jatiya Party chairman GM Quader said the 7th January election was not a ‘genuine’ election as it was a controlled one as per the wish of the government.
None will believe this government, and the acceptability, the government had, won’t remain, he added.
GM Quader made this comment while talking to this correspondent on Monday.
The JaPa chief refrained from making any comment about the election on voting day, Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon the JaPa leader said, “We always had an apprehension that we would be sacrificed by bringing us to the election. Through this sacrifice a one-party rule will be established. Whether this apprehension will come true or not, will be known by the afternoon .”
Speaking with journalists on Monday morning, GM Quader said he will take the next step after consultation with party leaders upon his return to Dhaka within two-three days.
He said the election was held in a free and fair manner in some places and rigged in other places as per the will of the government. Who will pass was determined in some constituencies.
That means the election was controlled like the past ones.
“We thought, as the government assured us, the election would not be like the previous ones. Polling centres would not be occupied, and the administration would remain neutral. But that did not happen,” GM Quader said.
The JaPa got 11 seats in the election held yesterday. The party has 23 MPs in the current parliament.
As a result, the number of seats of the Jatiya Party decreased by half. On the contrary, 62 independent candidates have won and most of them are Awami League leaders.
There is a question as to which party will be the opposition party. There is a scope in the law that the independents can form an alliance and may become the opposition party.
When asked which party will be the opposition in the parliament, GM Quader said, “I don’t know. Whatever is done should be in accordance with the law. A majority of the independents have won. We are the next. The independents are not from a party. The opposition cannot consist of the independents, they have to join a party.”
GM Quader said, “Whatever seats we have won, 5 or 10, against the boat. We have wanted to go to the parliament. However, the election has not been good. We will hold a meeting for the next course of action.”
Awami League left 26 seats for Jatiya Party in this election. There were no candidates with boats, the electoral symbol of Awami League.
Regarding the matter, GM Quader said, “I have said one thing again and again that we have not formed any alliance with Awami League or made any negotiation. We wanted a fair election from them. The administration and the law enforcing agencies have become a party due to the politicisation. We want the administration to play a neutral role, polling centres will not be captured forcefully and our candidates can contest. But that did not happen.”
The Jatiya Party chief said, “In accordance with their choice, Awami League did not field boat candidates in 26 seats. Many from this list are expelled from our party. In accordance with the intention of the government, except Rangpur, fair elections have taken place in few places. In the remaining seats, we had competition with Awami League. We were not given concession.”
