Russia joined the United States, the Commonwealth and the European Union in their decision not to deploy observers for the 10th parliamentary elections scheduled for January 5.
‘We invited Russia to observe the elections. But the Russian ambassador in Dhaka told me that the country was unable to observe the elections as it was in a prolonged Christmas vacation which will continue until January 11,’ the chief election commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, told reporters.
The Russian ambassador to Bangladesh, Alexander A Nikolaev, earlier met the chief election commissioner in his office. The meeting continued for about half an hour.
Nikolaev earlier confirmed to New Age that the country would have liked to monitor the elections but the embassy received the request too late to make the relevant plans.
Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson of the US state department said that as more than a half of the parliamentary seats in Bangladesh were uncontested, the United States would not deploy observers for the elections.
The Commonwealth secretary general sent a letter to the chief election commissioner earlier on Saturday expressing his concern about the development centring on the elections and said that the organisation was unable to send observers.
On Friday, the European Union also announced its decision not to deploy its observers for the polls.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the EU high representative, Catherine Ashton, said, ‘The main political forces in Bangladesh have been unable to create the
necessary conditions for transparent, inclusive and credible elections despite many efforts, including most recently under UN auspices.’
The Asian Network for Free Elections, Asian election watchdog known as ANFREL which observed the 2008 general
elections, on Wednesday urged Bangladesh and the Election Commission of Bangladesh to postpone
the elections citing several conditions that undermine the conduct of inclusive democratic elections.
-With New Age input
