JATIYA PARTY MP: NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 005051

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV BG
SUBJECT: JATIYA PARTY MP: NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ON
JOINING FOUR-PARTY COALITION


Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, Reason(s): 1.4 (b)


1. (C) On August 10, Jatiya Party M. P. Ghulam Quader told
poloff that President Ershad has only said he is prepared to
join the four-party alliance, but no decision has been made
whether to join or not. Quader discounted reports that he
advocated joining Awami League or would split with Jatiya
Party (JP) if Ershad joined the BNP/JI alliance.


2. (C) Quader said that neither of the two main parties has
bettered the country, that Jatiya would serve the country
better as an opposition party goading whatever party is in
power to improve the nation. Quader admitted that most
Jatiya Party MPs are concerned about keeping their seats, and
that at the grass roots level BNP/JI members would be adverse
to supporting a Jatiya Party candidate. He said that the
Awami League is the party to beat in most JP constituencies,
so a AL-JP coalition would win handily, but a JP/BNP/JI
coalition may lose JP support due to the JI factor, giving
the normally narrow JP win to the AL.


3. (C) Asked what motivates Ershad to consider joining the
BNP/JI, Quader said that other than staying out of jail,
Ershad hoped to gain the Presidency, which would be a
"vindication" since he would be returned to his former title
by the same people who took the title away. Quader
discounted reports that the Awami League offered him
ministerial posts to join their coalition. He added that as
far he knew, no other JP MPs had been offered ministerial
posts in a BNP/JI coalition and that Ershad was making these
announcements by himself. Only now is Ershad asking his
party for their views on joining a coalition, Quader said.
GEORGE