Shawdesh Desk:

The joint pre-election assessment mission from the United States has recommended engaging in ‘open and substantive dialogue on electoral issues’ for a credible, inclusive, and nonviolent election in Bangladesh.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the US delegation that conducted a four-day mission in Dhaka between October 8 and 11 also suggested protecting freedom of expression and ensuring an open civic space where dissent was respected.

‘Bangladesh was at a crossroads and the upcoming elections provided a litmus test of the country’s commitment to a democratic, participatory, and competitive political process,’ said the statement.

The delegation comprising of representative from the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute examined factors that could affect the integrity and viability of the electoral process; and offer recommendations that could help improve the prospects for inclusive, transparent, and peaceful elections and public confidence in the process.

‘From October 8 to 11, 2023, the IRI and the NDI deployed a bipartisan, international delegation to provide an independent and impartial assessment of electoral preparations in advance of Bangladesh’s upcoming 12th Parliamentary Elections,’ it mentioned.

The current political environment presents several challenges to electoral integrity, including uncompromising and zero-sum politics, highly charged rhetoric, political violence, a widespread climate of uncertainty and fear, contracting civic space and freedom of expression, and a trust deficit among citizens, political leaders, and other stakeholders, according to the statement.

It said that women, youth, and other marginalised groups also face significant barriers to participation.

The delegation offered the recommendations as ‘a roadmap for progress towards credible, inclusive, participatory, and nonviolent elections that can advance Bangladesh’s democracy’.

It underlined the need for creating conditions to allow all parties to engage in meaningful political competition, including bolstering independent election management and promoting a culture of inclusive and active electoral participation among citizens.

The delegation met with government officials, the Bangladesh Election Commission, party leaders from across the political spectrum, civil society representatives, current and former women members of parliament, representatives of organisations engaging with youth, persons with disabilities, and religious minorities, media representatives, and representatives of the international and diplomatic communities.

Members of the joint delegation included Bonnie Glick (IRI Co-Chair), Former Deputy USAID Administrator Karl F Inderfurth (NDI Co-Chair), Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs, Maria Chin Abdullah, Former Member of the House of Representatives, Malaysia, Jamil Jaffer, Former Associate Counsel to the President of the United States, Johanna Kao, IRI Senior Director, Asia-Pacific Division, and Manpreet Singh Anand, NDI Regional Director, Asia-Pacific.

NDI and IRI are nonpartisan, nongovernmental organisations that support and strengthen democratic institutions and practices worldwide.

The institutes have collectively observed more than 200 elections in more than 50 countries over the last 30 years.