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Run solo if BNP boycotts polls

Hasina asked JP in 2008

Star Report
Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina had asked former military ruler HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party to be prepared for contesting the 2008 parliamentary elections independendy if BNP boycotted the polls, said a recently leaked US diplomatic dispatch.
The then US ambassador James F Moriarty sent the cable to Washington after a meeting with Hasina.
At the meeting held on November 16, 2008, she also said even if JP, a key component ofAL-led grand alliance, stood in the parliamentary polls on its own, she would be willing to offer the party seats in the next cabinet, the cable said.
A few days before the meet, according to another cable, former adviser to the past caretaker government Maj Gen (retd)
Ghulam Quader told Moriarty that he believed BNP ultimately would boycott the elections because it simply was not ready.
"Quader opined many BNP reformists would break with [Khaleda] Zia and run for Parliament allied with other smaller parties, thereby sundering the BNP and greatly diminishing her political clout," Moriarty wrote about his meeting with the adviser on November 12,2008.
Quader, who was negotiating with political parties to ensure their participation in the elections, also said Jamaat-e-Islami desperately wanted to remain part of the democratic process and wanted the BNP-led four-party alliance to contest the polls.
"A boycott also would place the BNP alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami in a
difficult position, Quader continued."
"If the BNP boycotted, the Awami League should do what it can to keep lamaat engaged in the democratic process," the cable quoted Quader as saying. "One option for the Awami League would be to refrain from challenging strong Jamaat candidates to ensure Jamaat won at least a few seats in Parliament."
At the November 16 meeting with the then US ambassador, the AL chief, Sheikh Hasina, also echoed the same view of Quader about defection of many leaders from BNP-led alliance to polls.
"She [Hasina] predicted that many potential BNP and Jamaat Islami candidates would defy a boycott call and stand for election. Hasina confided that some BNP candidates had even approached her asking to join the Awami League," the cable said.
As she told the ambassador, Hasina reiterated that it was in BNP's own interest to participate in elections. Hasina was confident that there would be a large voter turnout even if BNP boycotted, it continued.
Speaking about making electoral alliance with Jatiya Party, the cable said, Hasina acknowledged that former president HM Ershad desperately wanted to be president again. "However, she could not promise this since it would be up to the Parliament to elect the next President" the cable said.
Two leading caretaker government officials negotiating the terms of parliamentary elections — communications adviser Ghulam Quader and education adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman — came amid great uncertainty over BNP's demands for participating in the election, Moriarty wrote in the cable sent to Washington on November 13,2008 after holding meeting with the two.
"Both men expressed exasperation over mixed signals from the BNP over its bottom-line; Quader said he thought the party would likely boycott the vote because it simply was not ready."
The cable reads "Zillur expressed frustration over Khaleda Zia's failure to indicate her bottom-line demands. He gave four possible explanations: She was determined to be a spoiler and boycott the elections; she was playing a game of brinkmanship to wring maximum concessions from the government; she was in the midst of finalizing her negotiating position; or, she was uncertain about what to do."
"Many BNP leaders contacted by Embassy officers in recent days suggested indecisiveness was the reason behind the lack of clarity of what the party really wanted," said the cable.
The US embassy said recent conversations with BNP leaders suggest there may be flexibility in at least a few party demands. Although some BNP insiders have suggested delaying the elections until February, the party has noi raised this demand publicly, it said.
The BNP also may be flexible in its demand thai convicted party leaders receive permission to rur for parliament.
The then BNP's Joini Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan told US embassy's political officei on November 10 thai Khaleda Zia asked him tc come up with a list of alternative candidates for constituencies formerly represented by BNP politicians in jail on corruption convictions.
"IKhaleda] Zia Advisei Hannan Shah ran through some scenarios undei which the party migh contest the election even i: the convicts remainec barred from running. Still several close advisers to Zu insisted the ban on convic candidates was designed tc disadvantage the BNP anc
continued to demand it be lifted," the cable said.
Wrapping up the discussion with the two advisers, Moriarty in conclusion wrote that the advisers stressed the caretaker government and its military supporters would not back down from holding elections on December 18. That means BNP must decide within a matter of a few days whether to participate, he wrote.
"Embassy officers have met with virtually all leading BNP officials this week to urge participation, and the Ambassador is seeking a meeting with [Khaleda] Zia to stress the case against a boycott," Moriarty wrote adding, "Whatever the BNP decision, the Embassy will continue to support the election timetable and to insist the Government do everything it can to ensure a free, fair and credible vote."
Around a week before meeting with Quader and Zillur, Moriarty met another leading adviser Major General (retd) MA Matin on November 6 and urged the government to do everything in its power to persuade Khaleda Zia to compete in the elections, said another cable.
The cable sent to Washington on November 12 said Gen Matin expressed dismay with BNP for making continuous new demands for participating in Parliamentary elections scheduled for December.
"Matin appeared preoccupied by the BNP's recent negotiations with his colleagues in the Caretaker Government. He said [Khaleda] Zia was continu-ously making new demands and changing agreements previously made," said the cable quoting adviser Matin.
The adviser, according to the cable, said for example, Khaleda Zia was insisting on the government's allowing BNP members convicted of graft to run in the parliamentary elections.
"Matin asked the Ambassador what the Government should do if the BNP decided to boycott the elections," said the cable, adding, "the Ambassador said the BNP would look foolish were the election to be held without it and international observers declared the vote free, fair and credible."