Unlike the city corporation polls, only two foreign election monitoring organisations have so far applied to theElection Commission to observe the December-30 elections.
According to sources at the EC Secretariat, the two foreign watchdog bodies are Democracy International and international Human Rights (IHRC). But, 15 foreign organisations monitored the elections to three city corporations held on April 28 last in Dhaka and Chittagong.
However, 29 local organisations have applied to the Commission seeking permission for observing the election to 234 municipalities across the country. There are some 120 election monitoring organisations registered with the Election Commission, said an official at the EC Secretariat wishing anonymity.
As per the EC factsheet, 4,189 local observers of the 29 organisations will monitor the December-30 polls.
Of them, the highest 1170 observers are of Ain Sohayota Kendra (Asok) Foundation, while 650 of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission, 294 of Brotee, 240 of Rural Development Service-RDA and 208 of Democracy Watch.
Besides, the seven other organisations that will have over 100 observers in the election are Wave Foundation (110 observers), Manobadhikar O Samaj Unnayan Sangstha (110), Fair Election Monitoring Alliance-FEMA (160), Gano Kalyan Sangstha-GKS (125), Light House (125), Association for Community Development-ACD (147) and National Youth Forum of Bangladesh (100).
The remaining 17 local organisations that will have less than 100 observers are Jatiya Nirbachan Parjabekkhan Parishad-Janipop, Bangladesh Manobadhikar Somonnoy Parishad, Manobik Sahajya Sangsha, Bangladesh Development Society-BDS, Nabolob, Uttoran, Coast Trust, National Development Program, Solidarity, Banchte Shekha, Rights Jessore, Rupantor, Dak Diye Jai, Khan Foundation, Jagoroni Chokra Foundation, Association for Coordinated Operation in Rural Development-ACORD and Institute for Environment and Development-IED. But the Election Commission is yet to finalise how many observers from the two foreign organisations will monitor the municipal election.
On December 23 last, the ruling Awami League lodged an objection with the Election Commission against 10 election monitoring organisations. Manobadhikar Somonnoy Parishad, Democracy Watch, Manobik Sahajjo Sangstha, Manobadhikar O Samaj Unnayan Sangstha, Light House, Odhikar, Rights Jessore, Jagorani Chakra and National Youth Forum are among the 10 organisations.
But there has been no decision yet from the Election Commission over the AL’s complaint, EC Secretary Sirazul Islam told UNB adding that the Commission is likely to discuss it on Sunday.
