US, European, other foreign diplomats to ‘watch’ city polls in Bangladesh

Diplomats, particularly of the European countries and the US, will keep an eye on Tuesday’s city corporation elections in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Around six million voters are expected to exercise their franchise at 889 centres in Dhaka South, 1,089 centres at Dhaka North, and 719 centres at Chittagong city corporations.
 
The voting will begin at 8am and continue until 4pm.
 
The election campaign generated much hype as it came just a few months after the anniversary of last year’s violence-marred the BNP-boycotted general election on Jan 5.
 
This time, though, the BNP has endorsed candidates in the elections to these major metropolises, ending its marathon countrywide blockade to press for snap polls.
 
It, however, threatened to resume movements if there were foul play on Tuesday.
 
A diplomat of a European country, who wished not to be quoted, told bdnews24.com that they would ‘watch’ the elections and visit some centres.
 
“This is solely to gather some impression on the voting and counting that will feed into our reporting to headquarters,” the diplomat said.  
“We don’t call this either monitoring or observing. There is a basic difference between watch and monitoring or observing,” said another diplomat, who will also send his embassy staff to different centres.
 
The diplomats said monitoring was done only when special teams were sent out 45 days before the voting on Election Commission invitation.
 
“This election ‘watch’ is different from ‘observation’ in the sense that we don’t make any public comment,” said a diplomat, when asked how they would follow the elections.
 
US Ambassador Mercia Stephens Bloom Bernicat planned to visit a centre in Gulshan, sources confirmed.
 
The EU, the US and the UK earlier issued separate statements, calling for an environment for free and fair elections.
 
Even Japan issued a statement for a free and fair poll after BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s motorcade came under attack.