The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Chittagong

Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad Sunday appealed the countrymen to cast their vote for the Grand Alliance candidates in the parliamentary election slated for December 29.

"If the grand alliance does not come to power, the four-party alliance will destroy what still remained in the country," he said at an election campaign for grand alliance candidate Morshed Murad Ibrahim (Jatiya Party) for the Chittagong-9 constituency.

Ershad urged the countrymen to remain alert about what he said the misleading statements of the four-party alliance. "The four-party alliance is voicing various apprehensions including vote rigging as they know of their certain defeat in the polls," he said.

The former president also urged the AL rebel candidate Dr Afsarul Amin to withdraw from the race in the interest of the grand alliance, saying that the December 29 election is also important for the nation as it was in 1970. "If boat and plough remain (simultaneously) in the race, the third force may be the winner."

Ershad also addressed three election meetings at Nayabazar, Dewanhat, Nasirabad and three roadside rallies at Badamtali crossing, Dewanhat crossing and Sagarika Bazar.

He is also due to address three more public meetings in favour of Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud (Jatiya Party) in the Chittagong-4 (Hathazari) constituency.

Earlier, the Jatiya Party chairman, accompanied by party's acting president Anisul Islam Mahmood and presidium member Ziauddin Bablu, flew from Dhaka to address a series of election campaign rallies for his JP candidates in two Chittagong constituencies.

Addressing a press briefing at the Shah Amanat International airport in the morning, Ershad said: "The December 29 parliamentary polls will set an example and will be the best among all the elections held since the birth of Bangladesh."

He also said that there is no uncertainty over the December 29 general election.

A former president and a leading partner in the Awami League-led grand alliance, Ershad praised the impartial activities of the Election Commission and said that all these have proved that an acceptable and fair election would be held.

Regarding the BNP-led four-party alliance's fear about vote rigging, the he alleged that the alliance led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia had "failed to achieve people's confidence" during its last five year tenure.

"They (BNP-led alliance) are certain that they would be defeated this time and so they are talking about vote rigging," he said.

Speaking about the Jatiya Party demand for withdrawal of Awami League candidates from some of the 46 seats allocated to the JP candidates by the grand alliance, Ershad expressed the hope that the problem would be resolved in a day or two.