A three-member European Union (EU) delegation has started observing the Election Commission’s (EC) preparations to hold the next parliamentary election, as well as from the secretariat, field-level officials, and collecting data on public opinion and mass media, confirmed EC officials.
Officials said the EU special observer team work that began working on September 15, would collect information on three phases from the field election preparation, election management system and electoral laws. On September 17, the three-member special delegation went to the Commission and spoke with officials.
A report based on the teams observations and data collected would be sent to EU headquarters.
The team has engaged students from the University of Dhaka and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology to monitor daily media reports and public opinion.
A senior EC official on Friday told the Dhaka Tribune that whether the EU would send election observers to Bangladesh for the next parliamentary election would depend on the outcome of the team’s report.
“The delegation wanted to know what kind of changes were needed in the electoral laws and the electoral code of conduct, they asked if polls were held under the ruling government, what would be the commissions role to ensure a level playing field, and how it would deploy law enforcement agencies during the elections,” said the official.
Meanwhile, sources in the commission said the EU delegation was unconvinced by the EC’s assurances about holding free and fair elections. The EU will reportedly fund various election-related UNDP projects.
Earlier, on September 11, the delegation met with the EC about preparations for the polls, and back in August, the EC sat with foreign diplomats and donor agencies to discuss the issue.
An official from the EU Embassy in Bangladesh said five out of the eight members from the main delegation have left. The delegation members are helping with technical areas and security and logistic support for EU’s election observers.
