The New Nation - Internet Edition

Pulack Ghatack

Awami League will hold a meeting with its allies in the 14-party over sharing of parliamentary seats today.

However, apprehending a relatively comfortable position this time, AL is unwilling to share any significant number of seats with its partners either in the 14-party alliance or in the proposed grand alliance.

Awami League leaders so far held several informal talks with the leaders of Jatiya Party, LDP and Bikalpa Dhara over revival of the grand alliance and seat sharing with them.

But the party is yet to talk with its "tested friends" in the 14-party alliance, who contributed much to the anti-government movement and also proved their sincerity over some of Awami League leaders during the crises period when Sheikh Hasina was also imprisoned.

AL has almost finalised the nomination of its own candidates for the forthcoming general election, its spokesperson Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists yesterday.

"From now, Awami League will finalise its allies' shares of seats in the (ninth) parliament," he said, indicating their full preparation for the polls although uncertainty still prevails with their archrival BNP sticking to its 7-point demand as a pre-condition for going to the polls.

Keeping in mind the possibility of 4-party alliances boycotting, AL has adopted a two-prone strategy to combat the polls, party sources said.

The Jatiya Party, Liberal Democratic Party and a few other parties, who would be part of an AL-led new grand alliance, will contest the polls separately should the BNP shy away from the elections.

AL will initially field candidates for 300 seats. After establishing the electoral alliance, AL candidates will withdraw their nominations from the constituencies where seats will be contested by allied parties.

The Jatiya Party primarily announced 102 nominations on Saturday. However, AL is willing to share at best 35 seats this time though the party was appeased by sharing 50 seats for January 22 election in 2007 which was foiled.

"Awami League had to sacrifice a lot at that time because the strategy was to isolate BNP-Jamaat alliance anyhow," said a leader of AL on condition of anonymity. "Now, the situation has changed," he added.

Left democratic allies of AL may bag at best 10 seats this time of which five for Workers Party, four for Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and one for Gonotantri party.

However, the left-parties combine will insist for AL support in 30 seats. Gonotantri Party will press for five seats though they have fulded 23 candidates unilaterally.

The Party president Nurul Islam will contest in Noakhali- 1, when Mohammad Afzal, another veteran leader will fight against Ershad in Rangpur-3.

The party will remain in the fray even if AL gives it away to Jatiya Party, insiders in the GP said.

Workers party will press for seven seats today while JSD also has almost a same number to bargain.

AL last time gave 23 seats to LDP candidates.