Commonwealth, EU to deploy large observer teams for Bangladesh election

The Commonwealth and the European Union are set to deploy large election observation missions for Bangladesh’s general election and the referendum on the July reform charter, both scheduled for February 12.

Lamiya Morshed, Senior Secretary and SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator, who is supporting the coordination of election observer visits on behalf of the government, on Thursday said confirmations from international organisations and countries were increasing daily.

“We feel really encouraged to see the growing interest from election observers from countries and organizations, which reflects their confidence in the interim government and the Bangladesh Election Commission to hold a free and fair election,” she said.

Former President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo will lead the 14-member Commonwealth Observer Group, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey announced in London earlier this month.

President Akufo-Addo will be joined by experts from across the Commonwealth with professional backgrounds in politics, law, media, gender, and election administration.

The Observer Group will be supported by a Secretariat team led by Linford Andrews, Head and Adviser of the Electoral Support Section.

In a statement issued on January 21, the Commonwealth said the Observer Group’s mandate is to independently assess whether the electoral process and referendum are conducted in a credible, transparent, and inclusive manner.

“The group will report on the conduct of the electoral process in line with the standards to which Bangladesh has committed itself, including its national laws,” the statement said.

The Commonwealth Observer Group includes Jeffrey Salim Waheed, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives; David John Francis, former Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone; Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi, former senator of Malaysia; as well as representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Fiji, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Zambia.

The Commonwealth announcement followed confirmation from the European Union that around 200 observers from the 27 EU member states, along with Norway, Switzerland, and Canada, would join the EU’s Election Observation Mission (EOM) in Bangladesh.

The EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) will be led by Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs, a Latvian Member of the European Parliament, the Chief Adviser’s press wing said on Thursday, quoting messages received in Dhaka.

It will include at least seven other Members of the European Parliament—Lukas Mandl (Austria), Loránt Vincze (Romania), Tomáš Zdechovský (Czechia), Leire Pajín (Spain), Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza (Romania), Michael McNamara (Ireland), and Catarina Vieira (Netherlands)—who will visit Bangladesh between February 10 and February 14.

The EU EOM began its activities with the arrival of a core team on December 29. The core team comprises 11 analysts, supported by logistical and security experts, and is assessing all stages of the electoral process, including legal, political, electoral, and media aspects.

Besides, 56 long-term observers were deployed on January 17 across all administrative divisions. They are monitoring electoral developments in their respective areas and reporting to the core team in Dhaka.

Shortly before the election-day, they will be joined by 90 short-term observers.

On the election-day, the mission will be further reinforced by observers from diplomatic missions accredited in Bangladesh and Members of the European Parliament, who will observe voting, counting, and the tabulation of results.

The EU said its observers would strictly adhere to the international code of conduct for election observation, maintaining neutrality and impartiality and refraining from any interference in the electoral process.

Nearly 2,000 candidates, including representatives from more than 50 political parties and independents, are contesting 300 parliamentary seats. The election will be held simultaneously with a referendum on the July reform charter.