Representatives from the United Nations, other donor countries and organisations on Tuesday expressed hope that the next parliamentary elections in Bangladesh would be free, fair and credible with all political parties participating in it.
They said this after one-and-half-hour long meeting with the Election Commission (EC) at the EC Secretariat in Dhaka.
“We have exchanged our views on our mutual hope for a free, fair, credible and inclusive election,” United Nations Residential Coordinator in Dhaka Neal Walker told reporters after the meeting.
Walker said, “We have been arranging this meeting for United Nations with the key partners and countries which are providing support to the electoral process in Bangladesh through the Election Commission.”
“We have come here today to know what the EC is doing with regards to its preparations for the upcoming polls.”
Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad said they discussed about the technical assistance for the 10th parliamentary election, which the donors and development partners would be providing through the United Nations Development Programme.
“We have asked for their assistance on supplying additional transparent ballot boxes, ineffaceable ink and video cameras.”
Asked about the donors’ position regarding the polls, the CEC said, “Our goal is to hold a free and fair election and see that everyone participates in it. The donor countries also want the same. We are in an agreement with them in this matter.”
Apart from Neal Walker, representatives from United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Japan, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, South Korea, European Union, USAID and DFID attended the meeting.
After the 15th Constitutional Amendment cancelled the caretaker government system, main opposition BNP and its allies have been on the street demanding its restoration.
According to the Constitution, the next national polls would be held at the end of this year under the present Awami League-led government. But BNP have claimed the election would not be fair if it was held under this partisan government.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier made talks offer to Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia to discuss the nature of the interim poll-time government. But recently, she declared that her government would not move one inch from its stand to follow the Constitution to hold the elections.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda has also declared that her party would not participate in the election under any partisan government.
Amid the stand-off between the ruling party and main opposition, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had spoken to Hasina and Khaleda over phone on Friday in a bid to get a dialogue started between Bangladesh’s two leading political coalitions.
Many other countries including the US, the UK and EU have urged the parties to sit and reach to an agreement to find a way-out of the current political crisis. – bdnews24.com
