Foreign diplomats and representatives of donor agencies sat in a parley with the Election Commission on Tuesday and stressed holding the next parliamentary election in a credible and inclusive manner.
“We gave views on our beautiful hope for free, fair, credible and inclusive elections,” Neal Walker, UN resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, told reporters emerging from the meeting at the Election Commission Secretariat.
Envoys of the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the European Union (EU) and representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attended the meeting held in the morning.
Neal Walker said they came to know what the Election Commission is doing regarding their cooperation and support for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“Those countries and partners who are providing support to the electoral process in Bangladesh through the Election Commission have come here today to hear what the Election Commission is doing regarding the cooperation for the upcoming general election,” he said.
He further said: “We were exchanging views on cooperation …we are carrying out (that).”
Chief Election Commission Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad told reporters after the meeting that they discussed technical assistances of the donor partners for the Election Commission.
The commission apprised the diplomats and the representatives of its stances and initiatives over different issues, including reform of the Representation of the People Order ahead of the next parliamentary election, a meeting insider told UNB.
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Neal Walker, US Ambassador Dan Mozena, acting UK High Commissioner Nick Low, Australian High Commissioner Greg Wilcock, Charge d’ Affaires of Canadian High Commission Janet Durno, South Korean Ambassador Lee Yun-young, Charge d’ Affaires of Swiss embassy Caroline Trautweiler, EU representative Luc Patzelt, Economic Counselor of Japan embassy Masayuki Taga, third secretary of Japan embassy Keiko Ikemoto, political and commercial officer of Swedish embassy Ludvig Bontell, representative of Norwegian embassy Arne Haug, Director (Democracy and Governance office) of USAID Amber Brooks, among others, joined the meeting.
Three election commissioners — Mohammad Abdul Mobarak, Brig Gen (retd) Zabed Ali and Md Shah Nawaz, EC secretary Dr Mohammad Sadik — were present at the meeting.
Source: UNB Connect
