The visiting UN emissary Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has sought to know
from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina whether the polls date could be
deferred.
Prime Minister’s International Affairs Advisor Gowher Rizvi told
journalists, after the meeting on Saturday, that Hasina told the
emissary that it was for the Election Commission to decide.
The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs had a
one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister that lasted more than 90
minutes.
Fernandez-Taranco arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening to, what UN said,
encourage dialogue between the two major conflicting parties –ruling
Awami League and main opposition BNP – over the upcoming elections.
BNP demanded a non-party polls-time government, but the ruling party
installed an ‘all-party’ interim cabinet in which the Opposition did
not join.
The elections are scheduled to be held on Jan 5. But the BNP has boycotted it.
HM Ershad’s Jatiya party, whose candidates have filed nominations
papers, too decided to stay away from national elections. –
bdnews24.com
UNB adds – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told visiting UN Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández Taranco that
deferring the election schedule is the jurisdiction of the Election
Commission. Sheikh Hasina said this when Taranco told her during
their one-to-one parley at Ganobhaban whether the January-5 election
could be deferred. Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser
Gowher Rizvi briefed reporters after the meeting. The hour-long
tete-e-tete between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN Assistant
Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernández Taranco began
at 4:50 pm and ended at 5:50 pm. Earlier, he held 40-minute talks
with the Prime Minister and other officials at the Prime Minister’s
official residence Ganobhaban from 4:10 pm. Taranco, who arrived
here on Friday evening amid the country’s murky political situation
that has cast a shadow on its January-5 general election, started his
Bangladesh mission by meeting with Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque
Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali today. The UN envoy met Foreign
Secretary M Shahidul Haque at 10 am and Foreign Minister AH Mahmud Ali
at 10:30am at the Foreign Ministry. His visit is aimed at
encouraging ‘dialogue and conditions’ conducive to parliamentary
elections scheduled for January 5, said a statement issued by UN
Resident Coordinator in Dhaka, Neal Walker. He will meet BNP
Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence at 7pm on Saturday.
