Bangladesh polls that reinstated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a fourth consecutive time period had been deplored late Monday by the U.S. and the U.Okay. as neither credible nor free and truthful.
Both nations, which have commerce and improvement ties with Bangladesh, additionally condemned political violence that preceded Sunday’s election by which Hasina’s occasion gained greater than two-thirds of the parliamentary seats whereas turnout was low and the primary opposition occasion boycotted.
“The United States remains concerned by the arrests of thousands of political opposition members and by reports of irregularities on elections day. The United States shares the view with other observers that these elections were not free or fair and we regret that not all parties participated,” State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller stated from Washington.
He urged Bangladesh’s authorities to credibly examine reviews of violence and maintain these accountable accountable.
The U.Okay., in the intervening time, stated the democratic requirements weren’t met constantly within the lead-up to the election.
“Democratic elections rely on credible, open, and truthful competitors. Respect for human rights, rule of regulation and due course of are important components of the democratic course of.
These requirements weren’t constantly met throughout the election interval. We are involved on the vital variety of arrests of opposition occasion members earlier than polling day,” the U.Okay.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office stated within the assertion.
The U.S. assertion stated it stays “committed to partnering with Bangladesh to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, to supporting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh, and to deepening our people-to-people and economic ties.”
Bangladesh is a vital companion of the U.S. curiosity within the Indo-Pacific area together with neighboring India amid rising Chinese affect.
China, Russia, India and a number of other different nations congratulated Hasina on the victory and pledged to proceed to companion with the South Asian nation.
The statements got here after Hasina stated at a news convention Monday that the elections had been free and truthful.
Her ruling Awami League gained 222 seats of 299 contested. Independent candidates took 62, whereas the Jatiya Party, the third largest, took 11 seats and three smaller events acquired three seats. The end in one seat remained undeclared. The election of 1 seat was postponed as a result of a candidate died.
The predominant opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies boycotted the election, and voter turnout was a low 41.8%. While election day was comparatively calm, a wave of violence preceded the vote.
Zia’s occasion stated greater than 20,000 supporters had been arrested since Oct. 28 when an anti-government rally turned violent in Dhaka. The authorities disputed the figures and stated arrests had been for particular fees similar to arson and vandalism.
Bangladesh has a historical past of political violence, navy coups and assassinations. Hasina and Zia ruled the nation alternately for a few years, cementing a feud that has since polarized Bangladesh’s politics and fueled violence round elections. This 12 months’s vote raised questions over its credibility when there aren’t any main challengers to tackle the incumbent.
Source: www.dailysabah.com