Amid criticisms for not attending the Victory Day celebrations at Savar, the European Union (EU) on Saturday clarified its position saying they had to skip the programme for an urgent meeting, but “no disrespect was intended at all.”
“We had a very busy week, and unfortunately we had to work on a public holiday here Victory Day. I would like to make it clear that we would never intend any disrespect to Bangladesh, or to the people of Bangladesh and freedom of Bangladesh,” head of the EU delegation to Bangladesh William Hanna told the media yesterday.
Hanna explained further saying the key turning point in their decision to not to send observers for the 10th parliamentary elections was when it became clear that the majority of seats were already decided without the voters having voted.
“Then it became clear… there’ll be no point of observing and sending EU observers.”
He said they had decided to work on a “very complicated report” in the morning of December 16, and decided to go to go the celebrations event at the president’s residence in the afternoon.
“But no disrespect was intended at all.”
Hanna went on saying, “There was a change, we had to discuss, and we had to look into that and meet together to decide. I hope it’s clear.”
Clarifying the EU’s position on holding the meeting on Monday morning, Hanna said it was quite an important decision, which was taken after lot of considerations in Bangladesh.
He also said they had to send the report to 28 capitals of the EU member states and Brussels urgently. “So, people can understand that position.”
Diplomats of the European Union (EU) in Dhaka did not attend the Victory Day programme at Savar citing an urgent “coordination meeting” on Bangladesh’s current situation, but joined the reception hosted by the President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.
On halting the preparations for the deployment of an Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh by the EU, he said the absence of necessary conditions for a transparent, inclusive and credible election compelled them to halt the decision for the time being.
“The conditions for elections which will be transparent, inclusive and credible are not there for the moment,” William Hanna said.
Catherine Ashton, high representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission has made the decision, for the time being, to halt election observation by the EU, Hanna said.
“But she also pointed out that when the conditions are right we would like to observe the elections. I’m saying we stand ready to deploy observers when the conditions are right,” he said.
On Friday, the EU decided to halt the preparations for the deployment of an Election Observation Mission in Bangladesh “for now” as main political parties could not create the necessary conditions for transparent, inclusive and credible elections.
The spokesperson of Catherine Ashton issued the statement.