The cancellation of nomination is under the Election Commission’s jurisdiction and the government has nothing to do with it, said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader.
“We have nothing to do,” he told the media on Monday (Dec 3) at AL’s office in Dhanmondi.
“The EC scrapped nominations according to its law. If indeed we had anything to do with it, would we have wanted Jatiya Party, our biggest ally’s Secretary General to miss out on nomination?” Quader questioned.
On BNP Chief Khaleda Zia not being able to polls, Quader said, “The court ruled that anyone sentenced for more than two years will not be able to take part in polls. We have nothing to do with that either.’
He said that many of AL aspirants’ nominations were also scrapped and the EC took everything into consideration before clearing ticket-seekers, which isn’t a new law.
Responding to queries about BNP’s complaints that their nominations were scrapped to pave the way for an AL win, the road transport and bridges minister said “BNP heavyweight Moudud Ahmed is going up against me. When I heard that his nomination papers had a few flaws I was disappointed because without him the elections will not be competitive. My mind doesn’t work that way.”
Quader compared the opposition and the ruling party to the two wheels of democracy; one is incomplete without the other. He added that AL wants credible polls and that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina “doesn’t want to score in an empty field.”
On BNP’s threats of boycotting the polls, he said, “I hope they will not do so in the interest of the people.”
Quader added, that the nomination for the party and the Grand Alliance was almost finalised.
“It becomes gradually clearer who will win after the polls schedule is announced. But one shouldn’t brag about it like the opposition because pride ultimately leads to one’s fall.”