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Ershad next PM?

JP chief shares his logics with The Daily Star

Hasan Jahid Tusher
Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad says he wants to be the prime minister through the next parliamentary elections.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star after his recent India visit, the key partner in the Awami League-led ruling coalition explained why he believes he could be the next head of government.
If the AL, BNP and JP take part in the next election, none of the parties would get a single majority to form a government, he said, adding that if the JP got more than 60 seats he would become the deciding factor and might become the premier, as neither the AL nor the BNP would be able to reach a consensus on forming a government.
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At that point, he added, he would propose the AL or the BNP to fulfil his desire.
“This may happen as they [Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia] cannot stand each other and there is no possibility of a consensus between them.”
The former military strongman spoke of another possibility: if an election is held without the BNP then his party might win the polls to be held under the AL since he believes his party will bag the BNP's and anti-AL votes. It will also prove that elections can be held in a free and fair manner under an elected government.
Keeping this possibility in mind, Ershad said, the JP would walk out of the AL-led grand alliance and take part in the next election independently. “I will be the real game changer at the next election," said the JP chairman.
He observed that the AL and the BNP each had a bloc of more than 30 percent voters and swing voters constituted the remaining 40 percent. “Now my target is to grab those40 percent votes.”
The JP boss firmly said his party would not join the BNP-led alliance ahead of the election, as his party would be harmed badly. “I will only take a decision after the elections.”
Asked if he had the
strength to get 60 seats, he said he had already finalised a list of 200 prospective candidates for the next election and updated his party's grassroots committees to get the desired number of seats. There will be 100 more seats where many important people like former secretaries and high-level civil and military officials who have already indicated their interest will be given nominations on behalf of the JP and he believes those people will have the capacity to come out victorious in the election.
The former president said people wanted a change in the two-party government system, which has been operative for the last 22 years. "Everybody says they had a good time during Ershad's regime. At the next election something will happen in my favour,” he said.
Speaking at his Baridhara residence, Ershad said after becoming the premier, he would institute a federal government system, which his party has long been demanding.
About the federal government system, the former president, who ruled the country from 1982 to 1990, said Dhaka would be made the federal capital and there would be seven federal governments in each division. Asked whether it would be viable under the present constitutional framework or whether the constitution
would have to be changed in this regard, he said other parties might lend support to his concept in parliament and that would help implement it.
He continued that people with expertise and competent leaders of all parties would be made ministers in the central government to ensure quick development in the country. “It will be a government of national unity comprising all parties represented in parliament.”
Asked about his India visit, the JP chairman, who met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon, among others, said the visit was very fruitful. “I spoke on many bilateral issues and also political situation and the next election of Bangladesh.”
He said India wanted to see a peaceful transition of power through election. They want to see a peaceful neighbour and a continuation of democracy.
Asked whether India had any apprehension on continuation of democracy, the former president said definitely it had. If an election is not held or election can't be held in Bangladesh due to movements or boycotts by the main opposition then democracy might be hampered here and undemocratic forces might step in, posing a serious threat to the
religious minority.
Ershad said he had assured the Indian president and the prime minister that his party would take part in the election for the continuity of democracy. He believes the main opposition BNP will also join the election.
About bilateral issues, the JP chief said he had demanded that the Indian government conduct a joint study with Bangladesh to assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of the proposed Tipaimukh dam, sign the Teesta water sharing treaty and exchange enclaves immediately. He said India had assured him that it would not do anything that might harm Bangladesh.
Asked if there was any discussion on the issue centring around the Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, HM Ershad said answered in the positive. India said it was not necessary for the government to get involved in the Yunus issue, he said, adding that it had also opined that the government should not speak against the World Bank regarding the cancellation of its loan for Padma bridge project.
Asked whether his party would take part in the election under the present administration, the JP chairman said his party wanted a level playing field to be created by dissolving parliament. “If the prime minister requests the president, he
can dissolve parliament and the prime minister can form a small cabinet with people nominated by the Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party."
If parliament is not dissolved, he apprehends that a level playing field will not be created and the BNP might not take part in the election.
Asked how he evaluated the present government, the former military ruler said although there were many successes of the present government there were failures too. “The main thing is that the perception of the people regarding the government is negative and it will be tough for the Awami League to come to power again unless the perception is not changed."
He said some ministers were performing below expectation and were tarnishing the image of the government. The prime minister should undertake a major reshuffle in the cabinet to change the perception of the people in favour of herparty.
Asked whether the failures were equally those of his party as a coalition partner, he said they also were borne by the JP as a partner of the government and that was why the JP wanted to take part in the parliamentary election alone.
JP Presidium Member Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu was present during the interview.