Canada disappointed with poll

Canada is disappointed with the Bangladesh poll but has welcomed Awami League willingness to hold a ‘new’ national general election.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Jan 2014, 06:38 PM
Updated : 6 Jan 2014, 06:38 PM

In a post-election statement Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also urged all parties to reach an agreement “soon” that would allow the next election “to be truly participatory, with results that all Bangladeshis will see as credible”.

He said it was “extremely disappointing that more than half of the country’s parliamentary seats were not contested freely, but instead were filled through acclamation”.

He noted with “dismay” the violence and “controversy” that marred the electoral period and said availability of “individual choice is fundamental to a vibrant democracy”.

“Violence as a political strategy is unacceptable,” he said and called all parties to publicly “renounce and condemn” political violence.

“Hundreds of Bangladeshi citizens were killed in political violence in 2013,” he said and that “we condemn this violence in the strongest terms, particularly the senseless attacks on the most vulnerable citizens — children, women, and religious and ethnic minorities”.

He said political instability had bred economic instability, causing “long-term damage to Bangladesh’s economy and may continue to do so”.

“We fear that this damage has undermined Bangladesh’s economic progress and developmental path,” he said, calling all parties “to look beyond” their immediate political concerns and work “cooperatively” to focus nationally on Bangladesh’s development and its bright future.

The Election Commission had earlier indicated that about 40 percent voters of the voters had their votes in the on Jan 5 election boycotted by the Opposition.

The elections were held in 147 constituencies, while the rest returned uncontested winners.