DHAKA, 30 December 2006 — Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman H.M. Ershad yesterday appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to reverse its earlier decision and allow him to contest next month’s parliamentary elections. “Justice was not done to Ershad…we hope the commission will consider the appeal and we will get justice,” Jatiya Party Secretary- General Ruhul Amin Hawlader told reporters after Ershad’s lawyers filed the petitions seeking to contest in all five constituencies.
Ershad was barred by the returning officers from contesting in the elections from five constituencies in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Dhaka, Habiganj and Sylhet for being sentenced to two years in prison in the Japanese boat purchase scam case.
The Election Commission will start hearing from Dec. 31 on the appeals from candidates whose nomination papers were canceled during the scrutiny held on Dec. 27.
The party’s Secretary-General Hawlader said he hoped the commission would consider the appeal in a “truly democratic spirit.” About 150 people were injured in protests against the ban on Thursday.
The Election Commission ruled that Gen. Ershad was ineligible to contest elections because of his conviction for corruption.
But Ershad and his ally, former Prime Minister Hasina Wajed’s Awami League, allege that the ban is politically motivated.
The Jatiya Party was the third largest party in the last Parliament. It is currently part of a 14-party opposition alliance led by Hasina.
The last prime minister, Khaleda Zia, handed power in October to a caretaker government led by President Iajuddin Ahmed until after the elections.
Ershad seized power in a coup in 1982. He has faced numerous trials for corruption, and has already served five years in jail.
Meanwhile, the Awami League-led grand alliance will enforce a countrywide blockade on Jan. 7-8 to press for updating the voter list and resignation of President Iajuddin from the office of chief adviser of the caretaker government, as they announced a tough action plan in Dhaka yesterday.
“If our demands are not met by then, a nonstop siege will be laid to the President’s Secretariat in Dhaka,” Hasina told a joint press conference at Hotel Radisson yesterday afternoon.
Flanked by two former presidents — Jatiya Ershad and Liberal Democratic Party chief Prof. A.Q.M. Badruddoza Chowdhury — she demanded a fresh election schedule, correct voter list, appointment of a chief adviser and new chief election commissioner, recasting the Election Commission, removing the attorney general and chiefs of the intelligence agencies.
