The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

United Kingdom's Development Minister Shahid Malik MP yesterday advocated for relaxation of emergency rules before election retreating from his country's earlier stand of lifting the state of emergency for creating a congenial atmosphere for the participants in the polls.

The British Minister had hectic meetings with government, political and army figures, civil society members and met the media prior to wrapping up his 2-day visit to Bangladesh.

He called upon all to engage constructively in democratic processes in order to achieve a smooth transition to an elected government in Bangladesh by the end of current year.

Reflecting on discussions about the country's electoral roadmap, the UK Minister said, "cementing lasting democracy is the ultimate goal. To achieve that goal means a spirit of inclusiveness, positivity and consensus from all sides, I'm talking about a genuine commitment to uphold and participate in the democratic processes that will bring a transition to an elected government."

"Election in 2008 is a must. Consistently we, like many others, have encouraged creation of a level electoral playing field with a fair referee. It is then up to the teams to play their part," Shahid Malik said.

Replying to a question he said, "emergency in any country any time is far from ideal. It is not an ideal situation if you want to have credible electoral process. It is common sense that you need to relax some of the emergencies to allow political parties to engage in electioneering for credible and meaningful election."

He said the Chief Adviser, the Army Chief and other Advisers he met felt that the emergency needs to be relaxed.

He said that confrontational politics that existed in 2006 cannot be the future of Bangladesh and "not the current situation where there is no elected government."

The future of Bangladesh beyond 2009 is the democratically elected government that will be accountable to the people, he noted.

Asked if the elections would be credible to the international community without participation of the two big parties, Malik said all different political parties and stakeholders have responsibilities in holding a credible election as people of this country deserve democratic government to serve their purpose.

He hoped that the current political dialogue between the government and the political parties would help move things forward saying, "Staying away is not the solution, it is engagement to solve the problems. Engagement is better than isolation."

The British Minister profusely praised Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed for helping develop a voter list with photos. "More than 80 million people will be on the list, which a few countries can achieve, in such a short period of time," according to him.

The United Kingdom wants to see 'gold-standard' election where there will be no question of legitimacy of voter list, he said, adding there is a lot of work to be done. "It is not the UK to do, ultimately it is politicians and stakeholders who want democracy and see future of Bangladesh should play positive role."

The Minister also took forward a wide-ranging development agenda and highlighted the breadth of the UK's engagement with Bangladesh. "We are proud of the partnership we have with Bangladesh," he said.

"Our contribution here will rise to US$ 300 million a year by 2010. As long as there is poverty in Bangladesh the UK will remain committed to working with the Bangladeshi people to improve the quality of life," he said

Following the launching of the US$60 million UK-funded Manusher Jonno Foundation Rights and Governance Challenge Fund, Shahid Malik said, "Bangladesh cannot achieve prosperity without also addressing the individuals - reaching and giving a voice to some two million of the most marginalized groups."

Malik also underlined the UK's commitment to tackling climate change in Bangladesh. "Bangladesh will among the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change, but it need not be a 'victim'. Resilience and the ability to adapt are proud qualities of the Bangladeshi people. The UK is committed to funding and expanding adaptation activities in Bangladesh, just as its is committed to supporting Bangladesh's international leadership September will show that Bangladesh has a vital part to play in bringing the world together for a far-reaching agreement on cutting emissions," he added.

Acting British High Commissioner Duncan Norman and DFID country representative were present at the press briefing.