US does not favour any party: Haas

US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas on Thursday said that the United States is not siding with any particular political party in the country, rather they are in favour of holding free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
After a meeting with Awami League leaders at the party's headquarters in the city, the US envoy said, "This meeting with the Awami League party is part of a series of meetings that I've done with all parts of Bangladeshi society."
"I've met, as you know, with other political parties, regularly visit media outlets, speak frequently with civil society, and interact with the police and the security forces. And this is all part of what I do as the American ambassador," he added.
During all these meetings, he consistently conveyed the same messages, saying, "These are US policies that support a free, fair and peaceful election with no violence on the part of anyone."
He emphasised that the US believes everyone has a role to play in ensuring that elections are conducted freely, fairly and peacefully.
He elaborated on the various roles different entities have to play, saying, "The government has a role. The media has a role, the judiciary, political parties, civil society, media, security services, and of course, the voters. Each of those must play their roles and be allowed to do so to ensure a fair election."
Besides, he reiterated the United States' stance on not favouring any specific party, saying, "The United States does not support any one party over the other. What we support is a democratic process that will allow the people of Bangladesh to choose their next government."
When asked about the US position on the poll-time non-partisan caretaker government, he clarified that the United States has no stance on this matter and that political parties should decide their approach.
"We are only concerned and interested that there be free, fair elections that are free of violence," he commented.
Asked whether the US is playing the role for a particular party, the ambassador responded, "This is a weird question when I'm sitting at the Awami League party headquarters. We meet with all political parties. We do not play favourites."
He further said, "There is no preference; we meet with people from all sides and parts of society evenly, and we do not play favourites."
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, speaking to reporters about the meeting with the US envoy, mentioned that they discussed issues related to holding a free and fair election, and he reiterated his party's commitment to ensuring that.
He said, "We told him that our Prime Minister has time and again expressed her government's commitment to holding free and fair elections."
In response to a question about feeling any pressure due to the involvement of foreigners in the upcoming elections, Quader said, "Like them, we also want free and fair elections. We feel the pressure from our conscience only."
He said that the US envoy did not raise the issue of a caretaker government or dissolving the parliament during their discussions.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com