JP leaders lack enthusiasm

Leaders of Jatiya Party have been conspicuous by their absence in the media ahead of the municipality polls, in which they have failed to live up to their own expectations of having at least 200 mayor candidates due to lack of preparation.   

The mayor contestants are running in only 73 municipalities out of 234 that are set to go to polls tomorrow.

Jatiya Party leaders realised the party could not take proper preparation due to time constraint, as they got only eight days to pick candidates between announcement of the election schedule and the deadline for submission of nomination papers.

They also alleged that their mayor candidates contesting the polls faced attacks and threats in many municipalities, which disheartened the party's central leaders.

"We had planned to have candidates in at least 200 municipalities. As we do not have candidates in many municipalities, expected enthusiasm has not been created among our party's central leaders and we are less visible in the media," said Jatiya Party Presidium Member and Opposition Chief Whip Md Tajul Islam Choudhury.

Besides, the Election Commission (EC) has failed to create a level-playing field in the election, he said.

"Our candidates are facing attacks and threats in many places, including Laxmipur, Noakhali and Satkania of Chittagong," he added.

Eventually JP was able to pick only 92 mayoral candidates, but 19 of them had their candidatures scrapped during scrutiny.

On November 29, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad announced that his party would have candidates in 200 municipalities.

"From now, Jatiya Party will take part in all elections unilaterally. Jatiya Party wants to be a big party fighting with the two major parties," he said.

Changing his stance, Ershad, on December 22, said the upcoming municipal polls would not be free, fair and impartial after the EC sought cooperation of the prime minister instead of exerting its own constitutional power to check election code violations.