Sharma welcomes commitment to December polls in Bangladesh

27 October 2008

Secretary-General says state of emergency inconsistent with normal electoral process

As Bangladesh heads for parliamentary elections on 18 December, Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma today (27 October) commended its Caretaker Government for having adhered to its roadmap for the restoration of representative democracy in the country through a credible election. But he said a state of emergency was inconsistent with a normal electoral process.

Mr Sharma, who is on a brief visit to Bangladesh, emphasised that it was important for the Caretaker Government and the Election Commission to work together to ensure that the elections take place in a climate of peace and security.

In his talks in Dhaka today with Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Chowdhury and the Chief Election Commissioner Dr Shamsul Huda, the Secretary-General stressed that the restoration of representative democracy was as important to the Commonwealth as it was to the people of Bangladesh themselves and that the Commonwealth was engaged as a strategic partner towards that end.

"The stage is set for the people of Bangladesh to decide once again who should govern them. This is a sacred trust that each voter must discharge," said the Secretary-General at a news conference on 27 October.

Mr Sharma lauded the impressive voter registration exercise recently concluded, with some 80 million voters being registered, with photographic voter identification cards, within a period of 18 months. He said he was also encouraged by the dialogue between the political parties, the Election Commission and the Caretaker Government on the preparations for inclusive elections, which should ensure that any concerns can be addressed.

"This is about more than getting elections right. The features of genuine democracy are about the institutions and processes of good governance: an independent election commission, a representative and effective Parliament, an independent judiciary, an efficient executive; an impartial national body to protect human rights. It is equally about developing the culture of democracy, together with the values that go with it: tolerance and respect for the opinions of others, transparency, integrity and accountability," said the Secretary-General.

He added that the parties that gain victory at the polls, and those that do not succeed, should co-operate in the interest of the nation.

"Intrinsic to the exercise of democracy is that losers too are drawn into - and themselves willingly co-operate in - the task of nation-building. The Commonwealth therefore places enormous emphasis on the relationship between Government and the Opposition, where the former knows the limits of executive authority, the latter understands the role of constructive opposition, and both respect their accountability to the people," Mr Sharma said.

He noted that only such cooperation could ensure that the challenges of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, disease, gender inequality, environmental degradation, marginalisation, extremism and intolerance are addressed, particularly at a difficult time of internal and external challenges.

Mr Sharma said the Commonwealth had received an invitation from the Caretaker Government to observe the December polls and that an assessment mission from the Commonwealth Secretariat would be sent very shortly to Bangladesh in this context, to consult with the Election Commission, political parties and other stakeholders before making recommendations to the Secretary-General.

Responding to a query on the ability of all political parties to contest the upcoming election, Mr Sharma said the election law should be uniform and consistent for all.

The Secretary-General welcomed the decision by the Caretaker Government to create an independent Human Rights Commission, saying that it would serve to protect and advance the rights of its citizens. He said this was a step which the Commonwealth encourages and supports. Once the Human Rights Commissioners were appointed the Commonwealth would be happy to share its considerable knowledge and experience in this field if requested.

He was also encouraged by the decision on judicial appointments which will be a vital step towards promoting the independence of the judiciary in line Commonwealth principles, as well as by the introduction of a Right to Information Act and the creation of a Local Government Commission.

During his visit to Dhaka, the Secretary-General also met Commonwealth High Commissioners and a delegation from the Commonwealth Society of Bangladesh. He also delivered a talk at the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute on the theme The Commonwealth - Current Priorities, Future Directions, where he outlined his vision in enhancing the role of the Commonwealth in promoting consensus on global issues, and in transforming societies through the harnessing of new technologies and strategic partnerships to create opportunities for promoting both democracy and development.

Click here for the full text of the Secretary-General's statement to the media