# Ministers, MPs obstruct implementation of party decisions
# AL will wait until the election is over
Awami League (AL) President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina want the upazila parishad elections to be free, fair and acceptable to all. In fulfillment of the wishes of the party president, the ruling party AL gave everyone the opportunity to contest the election without giving party nomination as well as using the party symbol.
After a meeting at the party forum, the AL decided not to use the party symbol in this local election. The decision was formally communicated to the Election Commission.
Despite those who are popular in the AL took part in the upazila parishad elections with enthusiasm, the danger arose when the relatives of the party's ministers and MPs started gaining influence by becoming candidates in the upazila parishad elections. As a result, popular and acceptable candidates are skeptical about a fair election.
When the situation came to the notice of the party chief, she instructed the general secretary of the party not to contest the elections to the family members and relatives of the ministers and MPs.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the party's executive committee to implement the directive of Sheikh Hasina. After the meeting, he and other organizational secretaries concerned of the party called the relatives and family members of the MPs and instructed them to step aside from the election.
As the last date for withdrawal of candidature for the first phase was April 22, in the meantime, all but one of them are still in the election. The central AL has fallen into an embarrassing situation for disobeying the instructions given at the highest level. The party has already held informal meetings on the next steps in this regard.
AL's grassroots leaders are in a cautious position so that those who have become candidates disobeying the party decision cannot win the election. They think that those who disobey the central decision, cannot show loyalty to the party, they are not the last Hasina's workers.
An AL leader, on condition of anonymity, said that this habit of not obeying the party decision did not happen in a day, the leaders did not dare to disobey the party decision again after taking action against those who disobeyed the party decision in the past. He also said that the ministers and MPs are behind the disobedience of the party decision. If the ministers and MPs had given strict instructions to their relatives, none of the relatives would have been in the election field, Sheikh Hasina's directive would have been 100 percent effective. But even after instructions from the top level of the party, the ministers and MPs did not take the directive into account. They have played the role of arbitrary.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader came up with the warning at a press conference at the party president's Dhanmondi political office in the capital. He said organizational measures will be taken in time if the relatives of the ministers and MPs do not withdraw their candidacy in the upazila elections.
The general secretary also said that the time for withdrawal of candidacy in the first phase of the upazila election has passed. Many of them said, "If we had known about it earlier, it would have been easier to decide." Still, some withdrew their candidacy, while others did not. The Election Commission cannot withdraw the candidature when the time is over. We will have to wait until the election to finalize this issue. If anyone disobeys here, there is an opportunity to take organizational action in the party. A decision will be made in time.
He also said that there is a matter of disciplinary action in the team. The party takes disciplinary action in different strategies at different times considering its activities. The party will take a decision on those who do not withdraw in the final stage. AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader reminded the concerned that there is a chance to withdraw candidacy until the election.
AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and Presidium Member Shajahan Khan had an altercation at the party president's political office in the capital yesterday. According to sources, the dispute with the two leaders was over the fact that Shajahan Khan's son did not withdraw his candidature. Talking to AL central executive committee member Shahabuddin Farazi over mobile phone, he said that the meeting is being held in front of the general secretary.
Contacted over mobile phone, Advocate Afzal Hossain, one of the organizational members of the party, told this reporter of The Daily Post that the general secretary of the party talked about what to do about those who did not obey the party decision. His words are about the team.
ZH
