UN mission ends today after hectic parleys with govt, opposition; Taranco’s ‘hope for solution’ depends on vital ‘ifs’
UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernández-Taranco yesterday said he was hopeful of a solution to the crisis over polls-time government, but that depended on four vital “ifs”.
It was the first time he spoke to the press since flying in three days ago.
Meanwhile, as the opposition extended its blockade till Friday with no let-up in political violence, people wait keenly to see if any solution comes out of the UN mission’s four-day troubleshooting that ends today.
Prior to his departure this evening, Taranco is set to brief the press about the outcome at 5:30 today after holding a second and last-round of talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at 4:00pm.
“I do believe that there is a possibility of a peaceful solution to this current deadlock — if we’ve a political will, we’ve leadership, if we’ve an attitude of compromise, most importantly if we’re engaged into a peaceful dialogue,” he said.
“I know that you would like to hear more right now. I still have many other meetings to go through. I want to reassure that we will have the opportunity to brief the media before I leave. This is as much as I would like to say right now. It might be some useful information for all of you.”
Taranco, UN assistant secretary-general for political affairs, was talking to reporters at the EC Secretariat around 2:20pm after 15-minute second-round meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.
Later in the day, he had second and final-round talks with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence. But neither UN side nor BNP divulge any meeting outcome to waiting press.
After the meeting, BNP Vice-President Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury told reporters that the discussion focused on ongoing political crisis and the next general election.
Briefing reporters, he also said the process of the discussion is on and it will continue. Shamser, however, declined to elaborate the outcomes of the hour-long meeting that began around 6:00pm.
BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan, Vice-President Shamser Mobin Chowdhury and BNP chairperson’s advisers Shabihuddin Ahmad and Reaz Rahman were present at the meeting.
The UN envoy did not take any question from the reporters saying he has more meetings with his interlocutors, but he assured that he would meet the media before he leaves Dhaka this evening.
Later in the evening, the CEC said important discussion was going on to resolve the political deadlock.
“We will not make any comment while important discussion is going on. Let the discussion continue and see what happen finally,” he told reporters at the EC Secretariat.
Taranco held second-round of talks with Awami League policymakers Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Syed Ashraful Islam, Gowher Rizvi, Faruk Khan and Mahbubul Alam Hanif.
The UN official also met the Russian ambassador at the latter’s Gulshan residence.
Later at the secretariat, PM’s International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi said Awami League and UN representatives have reached a consensus on not disclosing the conversation between them until talks are ended.
The five-member UN mission also made swift talks with a Jamaat delegation led by its Assistant Secretary General Abdur Razzak.
Earlier, emerging from the meeting with the UN team at Sonargaon Hotel, Razzak told reporters that they discussed about how the next election could be free, fair, impartial and acceptable to all and how level-playing can be created.
“We gave our opinion on how peaceful, acceptable election can be held with participation of all parties. Another issue was discussed and that was how violence could be contained.”
On a question regarding the cancellation of Jamaat’s registration, he said the party cannot participate in the election following a High Court verdict but it is possible to find out a solution how the party can participate in the election.
At the meet, the UN officials said violence is not acceptable.
“We [Jamaat] also said violence is unwarranted to everybody. We told the UN officials that if a level playing field for a free, fair, and participatory election is ensured, the ongoing violence will be no more,” he added.
On another question about war crimes trial of Jamaat leaders, Razzak said everybody wants trial but the trial is below the par of international standard even below the standard of domestic practice.
The meeting, which continued for about 35 minutes from 10:05am, was attended by Jamaat leaders Jasimuddin Sarkar, Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Mir Ahmed Bin Kashem.
Source: The Daily Star
