NEW United States ambassador in Dhaka Robert Earl Miller said that his country expected the upcoming December 30 elections in Bangladesh to be free, fair and credible as he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The US Ambassador informed the PM that his country would send 32 observers to monitor the upcoming 11th Parliamentary elections.
The Press Secretary said that the PM briefly described her party’s struggle in restoration of democracy in the country and said that it was only the Awami League government which had handed over the power peacefully in 2001 in the country’s history.
She said that before the 2014 elections, her government offered some Ministries to the Opposition to join the polls-time government, but instead they resorted to violence, arson and killings. In response to the Opposition parties’ allegations that their election campaign was being attacked, Sheikh Hasina said that two of her party members had also died in the violence during the current electioneering.
While the US is sending 11 teams the EU has stated that it doesn’t intend to send any team at all. The EU remains confident that the present administration can hold free, fair and meaningful elections. Instead it is sending two observers. So, at least one Western bloc has faith in the current administration’s ability to hold an all inclusive and fair election.
Of course expecting the elections are held in a free and fair manner doesn’t mean that there will be no irregularities. The US observers must ensure that their observations are compatible with the holding of an impartial election so that the people’s right to franchise is not diminished. Otherwise the observation teams will not be successful in fulfilling their mission.
The world would observe the upcoming election. The ability of the administration to hold free and fair elections will be under careful scrutiny of all. So, there shouldn’t be any criticism this time, which occurred in 2014.
