Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-16-Speech-4-184"
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"en.20061116.24.4-184"2
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"Ladies and gentlemen, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most overcrowded and poorest countries. In the 1940s Bangladesh was divided into two sections on the basis of religion, which failed to ease an already complicated situation. The subsequent war of independence with Pakistan only served to exacerbate the extreme poverty, and not only in the provinces.
In the country’s constitution, there is a special mechanism for placing power into the hands of the incumbent government during the preparation of elections. It is known the world over that microloans have been a great success. Less well known is that this success has, in this strongly Islamic country, been due especially to the commitment of women. As in any vastly overcrowded and very poor country, there are huge problems with inadequate infrastructure and with religious and ethic intolerance. I believe that these problems can be reduced and that the secular tradition can prevail.
A difficult problem in any election, and not only in developing countries, is the question of who is eligible to vote. In Bangladesh the problem is exacerbated by the fact that a section of the population is illiterate. The next most important thing after factually correct electoral registers is for candidates to have the opportunity to present their manifestos. It is no wonder that the proposed text of the resolution also highlights this. I should like to emphasise at this point that I do not believe that the recognition or otherwise of journalists by any country in the world can serve as a yardstick of democratisation. In any event, freedom of the press is closely associated with the democratic competition of ideas and manifestos. This is something that must not under any circumstances be compromised in the run-up to elections. Similarly, it is the permanent responsibility of all governments to eliminate terrorist groups.
A more complex issue is how to define the word terrorist, and how to fight terrorism in a democratic society. At the last meeting of the group for cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, which I had the honour of chairing, those in attendance expressed the view that it is possible for genuinely democratic elections to take place in Bangladesh.
The observations contained in the motion for a resolution made their mark in the meeting I chaired, and I believe that sending a European Parliament observation mission will help towards the democratic running of the elections.
The Confederal Group of the European United Left / Nordic Green Left supports the motion for a resolution before us, and I believe that we must support the process of democratisation in Bangladesh, including helping to make these elections as democratic as possible."@en1
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