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AL grassroots to send nominations by Nov 9

Little change in January 22 list expected

Hasan Jahid Tusher and Shariful Islam
Awami League's (AL) parliamentary nominations will be largely based on the list prepared prior to the stalling of the January 22, 2007 election with minor changes in it.
It however sent official notices to grassroots level committees for sending lists of a maximum of five possible nominees each for respective constituencies by November 9, according to party insiders.
AL President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said dedicated grassroots level AL leaders will be evaluated with high priority regarding nominations for the upcoming parliamentary election.
"It is the right time to evaluate
our dedicated grassroots level leaders," she told a small gathering of compatriots at Dulles International Airport in Washington DC prior to her departure for Bangladesh, reported the US based news agencies News World and American News Agency.
Meanwhile, AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday said they might sit with the Election Commission (EO and the caretaker government again to discuss deferment of upazila elections with a 'reasonable gap' between those and the December 18 parliamentary poll.
He also hoped that the state of emergency will be withdrawn in phases since the government already started the process through
relaxing restrictions on political activities.
Sources close to Sheikh Hasina. who is scheduled to return home tomorrow, said the issues of nominations as well as seat sharing with the party's allies in 14-party coalition and in the proposed grand electoral alliance, have almost been resolved so the party chief will not have to bear a huge burden on arrival.
Leaders of different political parties including Jatiya Party led by former military dictator HM Ershad. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Bikalpadhara Bangaldesh (BDB) already talked to Hasina repeatedly over the phone during her stay in the US regarding seat sharing.
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But how many constituencies will be conceded to them is not yet finalised, with JP demanding 60 seatsand LDPdemanding40.
Sources said components of AL-led 14-party coalition will seek more constituencies than they had sought earlier.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) gave a list of 18 JSD nominees to AL's Ashraful Islam.
Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon also talked to Hasina during her stay abroad urging her to concede 15 constituencies to his party.
But. AL is likely to share a lesser number of seats with its allies this time around compared to what it was ready to share prior to the stalling of the January 22. 2007 election, party sources said.
The party yesterday, from a meeting of its central working committee (ALCWC). sent directives to its grassroots level committees to send names of five possible nominees for respective constituencies.
At the meeting held in Al. presi-dent's political office in Dhanmondi. some leaders said it will not be possible to bring major changes to the nomination process in such a short time.
They also wondered if it will be possible to coordinate the mammoth task of getting the nomination suggestions from the grassroots levels across the country and to finalise a list of nominees by sifting through those in only a week, since November 13 is the last date for submitting part)’ nominations to the EC.
The ALCWC meeting was adjourned till Hasina’s return, so she can preside over it on November 7. when the formation of the grand electoral alliance and the issue of sharing seats with the allies will be finalised, sources in AL said adding that the party will nominate candidates based on acceptability and their abilities to win the election.
The sources said AL might change its earlier nominations in at least 25 to 30 constituencies.
The party also decided primarily that no leader will be given nomination in more than one constituency.
Some of the former lawmakers of the party’ died, while there are at least 11 leaders are convicted under emergency’ powers rules, and the party broke its alliance
with Islamist fundamentalist Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish. with which it had been ready to share five seats for the stalled January 22, 2007 election.
The party will start selling nomination forms for 300 constituencies from 10:00am today.
Nomination aspirants must buy the forms for Tk 7,500 each and submit them to the party's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue in the-capital by 5:00pm on November 7, after filling them up.
After submitting the nomination forms to the central party office the nomination seekers will also have to submit copies of them to the presidents and general secretaries of respective upazila or thana units of respective constituencies. who will later prepare a panel of maximum five prospective nominees in extended unit meetings, to send the panel of names to the AL parliamentary’ board by November 9.
"Although time is very short, we have no alternative to completing the process by November 9," Ashraful Islam said.
Briefing reporters after the three and a half hour long ALCWC meeting. Ashraful said the process of forming the electoral grand alliance with all forces except BNP-Jamaat-led alliance and antiliberation war forces is on, and will be finalised after Hasina’s return.
HASINAHEADING HOME
At the time of filing this report late last night, Sheikh Hasina was already in London en route to Bangladesh.
She is scheduled to reach Zia International Airport at 8:15am tomorrow on board a flight of Emirates, confirmed Hasina’s Special Aide Dr Hasan Mahmud.
AL is planning to accord a massive reception to Hasina from Zia to her Sudha Sadan residence in Dhanmondi, lining up a large number of party workers and supporters on both sides of the road.
AL top leadership yesterday also held a meeting with assistant secretaries of the party's subcommittees, and with the presidents and general secretaries of Dhaka city unit, the units of adjacent districts, and of all associated organisations to mobilise the welcomers.