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Defiant Ershad in a sticky stew

His house cordoned off; JP ministers to quit polis-time cabinet today

Shakhawat Liton, Rashidul Hasan and Prabir Barua Chowdhury
Upsetting the government plan to hold the national elections on January 5, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad yesterday asked the JP ministers to resign from the polls-time cabinet and the party's parliamentary aspirants to withdraw nomination papers.
"This election will in no way be credible since all political parties are not contesting it. There is no question of [the JP| taking part in the polls. I will not participate in this
election even if it costs me my life," Ershad told reporters at his Baridhara residence after it was cordoned off by more than 300 Rab personnel around 3:30pm.
The deployment of law enforcers around his residence led to speculations that he might be detained any moment.
However, Rab-1 Commander Kismat Hayat told reporters that the law enforcers were there to ensure Ershad's security. The Rab official said he had met Ershad, and that the former president was satisfied with the
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Ershad again talked to reporters at his residence around 11:15pm, and said he would commit suicide if Rab members tried to "trick" him.
"I told the Rab men that I have kept four loaded pistols under the pillow in my room. I also asked them to go to my room and check. I will kill myself if they tty to take me with them," he told reporters.
"The country will be in flames if Rab men touch me. They have to kill 10,000 people before taking me from here."
Earlier, speaking at a news conference at 4:30pm, Ershad said, "I am no longer scared of imprisonment. Though 1 am old, I am ready to go to jail."
The former president made the comment in reply to a question whether he feared arrests in the pending cases against him.
Asked whether he would stick to his latest decision not to participate in the polls, the JP chief said, "These are my last words ... |I| will not contest this election."
When his attention was drawn to the public perception of his u-turn, the former military dictator said, "This time I will prove to people that my words are right. I will not flip-flop."
Before the news conference, Ershad had a meeting with visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, who, according to Ershad, requested him to contest the polls to thwart the rise of militants and fundamentalist groups.
"Sujatha Singh said if any other party is voted to power, the Jamaat-e-Islami will rise. Do you want this?" said Ershad.
"I told her that I also fear so. If the Jamaat
and militant groups rise, the onus will be on the government since it is responsible for the present situation."
The Jamaat, a key component of the BNP-led 18-party alliance, has resorted to violence across the countty since February to foil the war crimes trial against some of its top leaders.
The anti-liberation force has also been playing a key role in the ongoing violent street agitation to resist the general election scheduled for January 5.
Meanwhile, coming out of Ershad's residence, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, also JP secretary general, told The Daily Star that all JP ministers would resign from the interim cabinet today.
Preferring anonymity, a JP presidium member said intelligence agency personnel met Ershad at his residence last night and tried to convince him to participate in the election.
"Sir [Ershad| asked them whether they were there to arrest him. He told them that they could arrest him but he would not contest the election."
On Ershad's instructions, the JP aspirants had already started withdrawing their nomination papers, added the party leader.
Ershad's latest decision will make it more difficult for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to overcome hurdles in holding the polls amid a boycott by the BNP-led opposition, say political analysts.
They predict that all government efforts may go in vain if the JP finally stays away from the polls.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, several JP leaders, including its lawmakers Majibur Rahman, AKM Mayeedul Islam and
Hafizuddin Ahmed, said they think the January 5 election should not be held.
If a one-sided election is held, it will escalate violence in the countty, and jeopardise the security of people as well as the party leaders and supporters, according to them.
The JP leaders said they had told the party chief that the situation was getting out of their control and they wouldn't be able to cany out electioneering amid such a violent situation. Some of them even failed to file nomination papers by the December 2 deadline.
Lauding Ershad's announcement, they said the latest decision had brought them relief in this current political situation. And it wouldn't be possible for the government to hold the polls following the JP's withdrawal from the electoral race.
The recent developments over the JP's participation in the coming polls happened very fast and in a dramatic way.
Following an arrangement with the ruling Awami League, the JP quit the AL-led grand alliance on November 18 to contest the next polls independently and emerge as the main opposition party in the new parliament.
Hasina included five JP leaders in her cabinet and appointed another as her adviser the same day. She also kept in her cabinet the JP minister who was inducted into her government in January 2009.
Though JP men filed 260 nomination papers by December 2 to contest the polls, Ershad all of a sudden announced on Tuesday that his party wouldn't contest the January 5 polls owing to the absence of an atmosphere for an inclusive election.