Electoral debacle left 14-party alliance component reeling

The parties belonging to the 14-party alliance have been facing a crisis after many top leaders of the alliance partners were defeated by Awami League’s independent candidates in the 12th parliamentary election.

The parties are even facing internal conflict after their leaders’ election drubbing.  

Some leaders of the alliance partners think their influence in politics is dwindling. Consequently, the alliance’s main component ruling Awami League is not attaching any importance to the other partners of the alliance. This attitude of Awami League was reflected in seat sharing of the 12th parliament election. Awami League reasons that the 14-party alliance partners could not become ‘self-reliant’ despite getting cooperation from the ruling party.

In this circumstance, what is the future of the parties and alliance itself is being discussed. Several leaders of the parties of the alliance said the ruling Awami League has not taken any initiative to discuss with 14-party alliance partners after the election.

The leaders of the alliance are now expecting a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina. They think internal feuds in their parties could be minimised somewhat if they get some assurance.

In the 12th national election’s seat sharing, Awami League left three parliamentary seats for Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad), two for Workers Party and one for Jatiya Party (JP). Among the contestants in these seats, only Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon and Jasad’s central leader AKM Rezaul Karim could win in the election. The 14-party alliance leaders did not get so few numbers of seats in any parliamentary election since 2008.

The leaders of the alliance then focused on getting their candidates nominated in reserved seats for women. But they could not get any respectable share in reserved seats too. The alliance partners now say that the Awami League is in too strong a position now, so they don’t have any alternative than biding their time.

Meanwhile, a source from Awami League said the prime minister is taking time to hold a meeting with the parties of the 14-party alliance considering that they might request for more nominations in reserved seats if the meeting is held now. The cabinet might get extended after the election in reserved seats. Then the PM might hold a meeting with 14-party alliance partners.

Amir Hossain Amu, the coordinator of the 14-party alliance, told Prothom Alo that the PM might sit with the alliance partners after her Germany visit.

Two lawmakers were elected from the Workers Party and Jasad each in the 12th parliamentary election. These two parties did not get any women candidates nominated in reserved seats. Workers Party and Jasad left the matter to the PM since the process to pick women candidates began. The parties finally did not get any reserved seats. They each had one lawmaker in reserved seats in the last parliament.

Sources said the leaders of the parties of the alliance met Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and Amir Hossain Amu as the discussion of nomination in women seats began. Each party leveraged to get one each seat in the reserved seats for women.

Amir Hossain Amu said Basad and Ganatantri Party officially submitted resumes of their candidates but others only talked about the issue.

Amu said he forwarded the resumes to the prime minister and one member of Ganatantri Party got the nomination.

A top leader of the 14-party alliance said the senior leaders of the alliance do not seem to have a future in electoral politics.

Sources said the alliance partners have never been so cornered since it started taking part in polls unitedly in 2008. JP chairman Anwar Hossain Manju was elected lawmakers seven times and minister for several terms. He lost in the election to his one time personal assistant and Awami League’s independent candidate Mohiuddin Moharaj. Many see the end of Manju’s political career through this defeat.

Samyabadi Dal’s general secretary Dilip Barua sought nomination to run the election for the last time. Rashed Khan Menon was elected MP from Dhaka-8 constituency thrice but he was not nominated in the seat this time. He later managed to get a nomination from a seat in Barishal and won. It is uncertain if this octogenarian politician will be able to contest in the next poll. Jasad president Hasanul Haque Inu was nominated but lost to Awami League’s independent candidate in the election.

Several leaders of the alliance said the internal discontent among the parties has intensified after the election. Even some parties that had already undergone a split several times, might face yet another divide.
Jasad’s president Hasanul Haque Inu told Prothom Alo that the 14-party alliance still has relevance in politics.

He expected a meeting with prime minister Sheikh Hasina.