US for participatory JS polls in Bangladesh

US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Bernicat today hoped that the national elections in Bangladesh will be a participatory, violence-free and credible one.

Secretary of the Election Commission (EC) Secretariat, Muhammad Abdullah, said this after a meeting between the US envoy and Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at the secretariat in Dhaka this afternoon.

“USA wants that next national election would be a participatory, violence-free and credible one to all quarters. And the US is ready to cooperate with the chief election commissioner in this regard,” the EC secretary told reporters quoting the US ambassador as saying. 

After around 90-minute meeting, Bernicat also told reporters that they discussed about the upcoming national election. “Of course, the topic was upcoming election.”

Noting that the US is one of the Bangladesh’s development partners, she said, “Election commissioners need our help to make the election free, fair and credible.”

She, however, focused on the congenial election environment so that everyone can participate in voting, register candidature and candidates can conduct campaign.

The US envoy said the CEC informed her that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will not be used in the election if any party refuses to keep trust on it.

She also said US has no intention of interfering the election.

EC Secretary Muhammad Abudllah said the US ambassador raised the issue of January 5 election and told the CEC that the election cannot be called a participatory one as a big party did not join it.

She told the CEC that they want no more repetition of the election which was largely boycotted.

“In response, the CEC told her if the next election is inclusive, the problems will be minimised. If the next election is a participatory one, the polls will be fair and free,” Abdullah quoted the CEC as saying.

“Both sides --the CEC and the US envoy -- want a fair election unlikely February 12 [right February 15 in 1996] election or January 5 election [2014], so that none would boycott the [11th national] election,” the EC secretary said.