The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) following their joint visit have made five recommendations for Bangladesh to hold the upcoming general elections “credible, inclusive and nonviolent”.
The delegation offers recommendations on steps that Bangladeshi stakeholders can take in the remaining pre-election period and beyond to enhance confidence in the overall electoral process, according to an IRI statement.
The upcoming election is a “litmus test” for Bangladesh's democracy, they observed.
Recommendation 1: Moderate rhetoric and engage in open and substantive dialogue on key election issues.
- In public, political parties should moderate their rhetoric and acknowledge the legitimacy of other political actors, including amplifying and strengthening existing codes of conduct.
- The parties should engage in good faith negotiations to find a compromise to the current political stalemate and create real, lasting, and credible change.
Recommendation 2: Protect freedom of expression and ensure an open civic space where dissent is respected.
- Journalists and media outlets should be free to critically cover all political parties, government actors, and issues in Bangladesh and citizens should be free to express themselves, both without fear of retaliation.
- Civil society organizations and community-based organizations, particularly those that work on democracy and human rights issues, should not face threats to curtail or otherwise limit their activities.
- The newly passed Cyber Security Act should not be misused or abused, including targeting dissenting speech; the government should continue to seek input from citizens and other stakeholders on its implementation.
- Election regulations should ensure that citizen observers can access all aspects of the election process, in accordance with the global norms enumerated in the Declaration of Global Principles and Monitoring by Citizen Organizations.
Recommendation 3: Commit to nonviolence and hold perpetrators of political violence accountable.
- Political party leaders and activists should not face violence and receive equal protection from state authorities when engaging in legal and nonviolent political activities.
- All parties should publicly commit to nonviolence and condemn violence committed by their own party members or supporters.
- All parties should subscribe to a multiparty code of conduct committing to electoral nonviolence.
- Political parties and other stakeholders should take steps to prevent, identify, and address online and offline violence against women in elections.
Recommendation 4: Create conditions to allow all parties to engage in meaningful political competition, including bolstering independent election management.
- Strengthen safeguards for the independence and political neutrality of the Election Commission, and empower it with increased staffing and funding.
- Communicate and be transparent about the way in which relevant authorities will administer the election to build trust and confidence in the process.
- Provide registration to all political parties that demonstrate a credible intent to engage in nonviolence and democratic political activity and facilitate campaign activity through fair and transparent processes.
- Provide a speedy and credible judicial review of all judicial cases pending against political activists, civil society leaders, and media representatives.
Recommendation 5: Promote a culture of inclusive and active electoral participation among citizens.
- All stakeholders should contribute to an election environment of nonviolence, moderation, and consensual politics that is conducive to the participation of all citizens in elections without discrimination.
- All parties should elevate new voices—particularly women, youth, PWDs, and other marginalized groups—in political activities during the election: as candidates, party leaders, and decision-makers, including providing training and other resources to maximize their chances of success beyond the reserved seats.
- The Election Commission should provide all reasonable accommodations to ensure the full participation of people with disabilities in the election process.
The delegation recognizes that it is the people of Bangladesh who will ultimately determine the credibility and legitimacy of their elections and their country’s democratic development.
“The delegation therefore offers this pre-election statement in the spirit of supporting and strengthening democratic institutions in Bangladesh.”
From October 8 to 11, the IRI and the NDI deployed a bipartisan, international delegation to provide an independent and impartial assessment of electoral preparations in advance of Bangladesh’s upcoming 12th parliamentary elections.
They examined factors that could affect the integrity and viability of the electoral process; and offered recommendations that could help improve the prospects for inclusive, transparent, and peaceful elections and public confidence in the process.
“Bangladesh’s robust economic growth and strong tradition of democratic values have set a strong foundation for the country to achieve its 2041 vision of becoming a developed country.”
“However, the current political environment presents several challenges to electoral integrity, including uncompromising and zero-sum politics, highly charged rhetoric, political violence, a widespread climate of uncertainty and fear, contracting civic space and freedom of expression, and a trust deficit among citizens, political leaders, and other stakeholders,” they observed.
