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Send resignation letters to PM

Ershad texts JP ministers

Shakhawat Liton, Hasan Jahid Tusher and PRABIR BARUA CHOWDHURY
Jatiya Party Chairman I IM Ershad last evening via text directed his party leaders in the polls-time cabinet to submit their resignation letters to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today.
He changed his earlier decision of submitting the letters to the President to comply with the constitutional guideline and to avert any controversy over his party ministers' resignation process.
According to article 58 (1) of the constitution, a minister needs to submit his/her resignation letter to the prime minister for
submission to the President.
JP Secretary General Ruhul Amin Hawlader, also civil aviation and tourism minister, had communicated Ershad's instructions to the leaders concerned, highly placed sources in the JP said.
"I will try to make an appointment with the premier tomorrow [Saturday] morning to submit the resignation letters," Hawlader told The Daily Star last night over the phone.
He said, "If we do not get any appointment since tomorrow is holiday, we may hand over the letters to the PM's principal secretary to have those forwarded to her."
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On Thursday, Hawlader, Commerce Minister GM Quader, State Minister for Youth and Sports Mujibul Haque Chunnu, and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Salma Islam handed over their letters of resignation to Ershad for submission to the President.
However, three other JP leaders - Health Minister Raushan Ershad, Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud and PM's Adviser Ziauddin Babin - did not do so as of last night.
They too have been asked to submit their letters of resignation to the premier today.
IP insiders said Raushan, Anis and Bablu had been showing unwillingness to quit the polistime cabinet.
Last night, some ruling Awami League leaders had a meeting with Raushan.
JP sources said Raushan had discussed the meeting agenda with Ershad.
According to JP and AL sources, the three JP leaders might severe relations with their party and stay in the cabinet under Raushan's leadership, if Ershad did not reach an understanding with the AL.
But yesterday, the JP chairman reiterated his firm stance of not contesting the January 5 parliamentary elections until all the political parties take part in it.
The AL is also holding talks with the party to include Ershad in the ballot race.
AL sources said several ruling party leaders, including Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Obaidul Quader and Mahbubul Alam Hanif, had been tasked with talking to the JP high command and bringing Ershad in the polls.
The sources said AL in principle had decided to meet several demands of Ershad, including that of not racing in 70 seats, if he contested the polls.
Contacted AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif said, "Wait until December 13 to know about Ershad's final stance. It will not be wise to talk about him now."
AL advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday at the Jatiya Press Club told reporters that Ershad had been in the vote race and would remain so to help the process of changing power through elections.
ERSHAD'S BRIEFING
Yesterday morning, Ershad said he had not changed his mind and his statement about "committing suicide if he was arrested" had been misinterpreted by the media.
Talking to reporters last night, he said JP ministers on Thursday had told the prime minister that if the time for submitting nomination papers was extended and all parties took part in the polls, they would join it too.
He also clarified that if all the parties did not join the polls, JP would not take part in it.
JP SECRETARY GENERAL S BRIEFING
Yesterday, Hawlader confirmed that his party was holding talks with the government over taking part in the elections.
"There is nothing wrong in having talks with the government," he told newsmen at Ershad's Baridhara home.
He said JP would not make any decision that might go against the country's interest.
However, both Ershad and Ruhul claimed that they had no contact with the main opposition BNP.
On Tuesday, Ershad announced that his party would not take part in the next elections as the "atmosphere for an inclusive election had not been created".
The next day, he asked his party leaders to resign from the polls-time cabinet and poll