In a move to reduce differences between two major political camps over a poll-time government, the visiting UN envoy on political affairs, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, yesterday held a series of meetings advocating a compromise to create a positive environment for holding free, fair and credible polls. The assistant secretary general urged the main opposition, BNP, to enter talks with the government without setting preconditions. He also asked whether there was any scope for a government comprising elected representatives to oversee the next polls, sources in the meetings said.
The BNP made it clear that it wants a non-partisan government to oversee the polls, a member of the party’s standing committee told the DhakaTribune.
The opposition party said it has no reservations about talks, but stressed that there should be a specific agenda to ensure a successful outcome, he said.
In a meeting with prime minister in the morning, Taranco pointed out that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasised “ensuring a conducive atmosphere” towards holding a free, fair and neutral election, according to PM’s press secretary, Abul Kalam Azad.
Sheikh Hasina reportedly told the envoy that the Election Commission has been strengthened to ensure voting rights of the people whoever is running the poll-time government.
After the meeting, Hasina renewed her offer of talks to opposition leader Khaleda Zia.
Before his meeting with prime minister, Taranco also informally sat with Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam at Gulshan on Friday.
Briefing journalist about the 90-minute meeting between Khaleda and the UN envoy yesterday evening, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said Taranco pushed for a compromise between the two political camps.
Sources in the meeting said BNP told the envoy that installation of a non-party government “is essential” for credible polls.
Before his meet with Khaleda, Taranco also met a BNP delegation comprising standing committee member Abdul Moyeen Khan, vice chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, advisers to the BNP chairperson Reaz Rahman and Sabih Uddin Ahmed and opposition chief whip Zainul Abdin Farroque in a city hotel.
They told the envoy that there “is hardly any atmosphere for dialogue” as most of the senior BNP leaders were behind bars and facing dozens of police cases.
Taranco wanted to know if the BNP “is rigid” on the prime minister’s call for dialogue. The BNP leaders replied that they were “not rigid”, rather they were “confused about the prime minister’s intention”.
Taranco asked whether a caretaker government was contrary to the constitution, and the party said the position of the Supreme Court in this regard was not binding on parliament.
Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury briefed journalists after the meeting between Khaleda and Taranco.
The UN wanted to see consensus among the political parties to reach a compromise for holding a credible election, said Chowdhury, also a retired foreign secretary and former ambassador to US. "The discussion will continue,” he said.
BNP leaders said their impression was that the UN envoy came to discover the intentions of the two parties.
Taranco’s visit is a follow up of his mission last December, when he said the UN would continue its institutional and capacity building support to the Election Commission during the next general election.
He is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Election Commission this afternoon.
Taranco is scheduled to leave Dhaka on Tuesday, but officials said he will come back soon to press for a compromise between the political archrivals.