EU team talks party, electoral reforms with AL presidium
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
The visiting European Elections Exploratory Mission Tuesday discussed legal aspects of political parties and electoral reforms in Bangladesh in a meeting with Awami League (AL) presidium members as part of their assessment of the pre-election situation, reports UNB.
The two-hour consultation, focused on the next general election, which has long been stalled following a politico-electoral crisis, was held at the Gulshan residence of AL acting President Zillur Rahman.
"We have discussed several reform-related laws, including state of emergency, electoral laws, Representation of People's Order Act, national security council, code of conduct, political party registration act with European Union's (EU) delegation," AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists after the meeting.
The EU mission arrived here on June 15 on a week-long visit to collect factual information to assess whether an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) is to be sent or not.
Talking to the newsmen, EU mission chief Zsolt Bartfai said their headquarters was considering sending a team comprising 150 election observers ahead of the parliamentary polls in Bangladesh.
Ashraful Islam said they informed the delegation that the AL was always for positive reforms, but, "unfortunately, the government is yet to take effective steps, including implementing the draft law: 'Political Party Registration Act."
Besides, the AL presidium said to the mission members that state of emergency would have to be withdrawn and the national elections must be held first of all.
"The presidium said the caretaker government (CG) must arrange the national election first of all as its only duty is to transfer the state power to an elected prime minister," he said.
Ashraful said that the government should not do anything that hampered the timetable of the general election.
"Some 28,000 innocent people have been arrested in the last few days, which is unprecedented," he said.
Ashraful warned that if the government continued to arrest political persons, then it would be impossible for all to participate in the next election.
Ashraful said AL had also wanted to arrange upazila elections. But the then President and the Chief Election Commissioner did not support this move.
The EU mission is scheduled to hold a wide range of talks with government and political party leaders, election commission officials and representatives of civil society and NGOs.
Its members already had a meeting with Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, top government officials and heads of EU mission in Dhaka.
The EU emissaries will make recommendation to Commissioner for External Relations Ferrero Waldner who will decide in due course whether to deploy a full EU observation mission to observe the 9th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.
The Exploratory Mission will assess whether the recommendations provided by the previous Exploratory Mission have been followed up by electoral and political authorities in the country.
Since 200l, the EU has deployed more than 40 EOMs in partner countries.
Meanwhile, the visiting European Elections Exploratory Mission Tuesday had a meeting with former President and Bikolpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) chief Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, discussing pre-election scenario in the country.
During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting held at the party's Banani office in the afternoon, the BDB president briefed the EU team about their expectation for a free and fair election in the country.
Party Secretary General Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan and former presidium member Mahi B Chowdhury were also present at the meeting.
The two-hour consultation, focused on the next general election, which has long been stalled following a politico-electoral crisis, was held at the Gulshan residence of AL acting President Zillur Rahman.
"We have discussed several reform-related laws, including state of emergency, electoral laws, Representation of People's Order Act, national security council, code of conduct, political party registration act with European Union's (EU) delegation," AL acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told journalists after the meeting.
The EU mission arrived here on June 15 on a week-long visit to collect factual information to assess whether an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) is to be sent or not.
Talking to the newsmen, EU mission chief Zsolt Bartfai said their headquarters was considering sending a team comprising 150 election observers ahead of the parliamentary polls in Bangladesh.
Ashraful Islam said they informed the delegation that the AL was always for positive reforms, but, "unfortunately, the government is yet to take effective steps, including implementing the draft law: 'Political Party Registration Act."
Besides, the AL presidium said to the mission members that state of emergency would have to be withdrawn and the national elections must be held first of all.
"The presidium said the caretaker government (CG) must arrange the national election first of all as its only duty is to transfer the state power to an elected prime minister," he said.
Ashraful said that the government should not do anything that hampered the timetable of the general election.
"Some 28,000 innocent people have been arrested in the last few days, which is unprecedented," he said.
Ashraful warned that if the government continued to arrest political persons, then it would be impossible for all to participate in the next election.
Ashraful said AL had also wanted to arrange upazila elections. But the then President and the Chief Election Commissioner did not support this move.
The EU mission is scheduled to hold a wide range of talks with government and political party leaders, election commission officials and representatives of civil society and NGOs.
Its members already had a meeting with Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, top government officials and heads of EU mission in Dhaka.
The EU emissaries will make recommendation to Commissioner for External Relations Ferrero Waldner who will decide in due course whether to deploy a full EU observation mission to observe the 9th parliamentary elections in Bangladesh.
The Exploratory Mission will assess whether the recommendations provided by the previous Exploratory Mission have been followed up by electoral and political authorities in the country.
Since 200l, the EU has deployed more than 40 EOMs in partner countries.
Meanwhile, the visiting European Elections Exploratory Mission Tuesday had a meeting with former President and Bikolpadhara Bangladesh (BDB) chief Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, discussing pre-election scenario in the country.
During the one-and-a-half-hour meeting held at the party's Banani office in the afternoon, the BDB president briefed the EU team about their expectation for a free and fair election in the country.
Party Secretary General Maj (retd) Abdul Mannan and former presidium member Mahi B Chowdhury were also present at the meeting.