Still waiting for democracy: Bangladesh
Economist Espresso Wed, Aug 23 10:48 AM PDT
The election commission kicks off talks today with political parties in preparation for the 2018/19 election. The previous poll, in 2014, was an obvious sham: the opposition boycotted it and voting did not take place in most constituencies. Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League is under pressure to prove that multi-party democracy isn’t dead. The army would probably not tolerate another dodgy poll. The UN, still remembered for its awkward meddling in 2007, when a coup replaced elections, has offered to provide observers, as has the European Union. India, Sheikh Hasina’s main backer, has called for a free and participatory vote. Khaleda Zia’s demolished opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party must run or lose its party registration. Yet it is reluctant: for one thing, the constitution does not dissolve parliament until three months after an election, thus entrenching incumbents. As the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence approaches in 2021, it is still far from being a true democracy.
The election commission kicks off talks today with political parties in preparation for the 2018/19 election. The previous poll, in 2014, was an obvious sham: the opposition boycotted it and voting did not take place in most constituencies. Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League is under pressure to prove that multi-party democracy isn’t dead. The army would probably not tolerate another dodgy poll. The UN, still remembered for its awkward meddling in 2007, when a coup replaced elections, has offered to provide observers, as has the European Union. India, Sheikh Hasina’s main backer, has called for a free and participatory vote. Khaleda Zia’s demolished opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party must run or lose its party registration. Yet it is reluctant: for one thing, the constitution does not dissolve parliament until three months after an election, thus entrenching incumbents. As the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence approaches in 2021, it is still far from being a true democracy.
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