The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The European Union's Election Observer Mission yesterday emphasized the need for creating an atmosphere ensuring freedom of campaign of the political parties and contestants maintaining safety and security of people.

"We hope that can be achieved without state of emergency," Chief observer of EU election observation mission Alexander Graf Lambsdoff said at a press conference at Hotel Sheraton yesterday. Lambsdroff, who also headed the previous EU election observation mission before January 11, 2007, observed the present situation was far better than what it was two years ago.

"There is a remarkable difference in this time from what the situation was two years ago," he said and hoped all the political parities would participate in the polls and accept the results.

The election should be acceptable and the parties should also accept the results, he said. "Both sides, I mean all sides, should recognize this," the EU parliament member said.

"Boycotting of elections by any party would be unfortunate, as Bangladesh should return to full-fledged democracy," he observed.

"We hope the emergency will be lifted at some point of the election process to ensure a clean environment for election," said Graf Lambsdoff.

He however, observed that the majority of Bangladeshis did not want emergency to be lifted before the polls, for they are concerned about security.

Asked about the role of army in the election he said, the role of army in the election process is non-existent other than providing security.

The authorities will take the decision whether they will exclusively use police for security and safety of participants in the elections process or deploy army for that purpose, he added.

Any law-enforcing agency must be respected to ensure free and fair election where electorates could cast their votes in a free environment without any intimidation, he added.

About post-election violations and persecution of religious minorities for voting in favour or against someone he said recurrence of events like attacks, murder, rape and arson should be avoided by all means.

Asked about the outcome of his meetings with political parties, Lambsdroff, a Member of European Parliament (MEP), said he found consensus among the stakeholders that elections should take place.

He said that in all, 150 EU election observers will be deployed on the election-day. Already a core team of nine experts and 46 long-term observers are working across the country.

The election observation mission will announce a preliminary report two days after the election and a detailed report after two months of the election with recommendation for changes, if needed, for future elections.

He said the EU election observation mission is independent and will observe the laws of land and its enforcement as well as the best practices of the international standard, as Bangladesh endorses the international convention on civil and political rights.

Asked about reservations from some parties against certain domestic observation teams, Lambsdroff said he was aware of that, but suggested that domestic observation was important and they should be allowed to observe the polls to a great extent to help ensure transparency of voting.

Asked whether they will pull out from observation if the emergency is not lifted, he said the EU observation mission would focus whether a genuine atmosphere was there where campaign went freely, and safety and security of all stakeholders engaged in the elections were guaranteed. "We hope the state of emergency can be lifted."

Deputy Chief Observer Graham Elsom moderated the press conference attended by Ambassadors from France, Germany and Italy and representatives of some watchdog bodies.