Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-16-Speech-4-192"
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"en.20061116.24.4-192"2
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"Mr President, the Commission shares Parliament’s concerns and welcomes the opportunity to discuss Bangladesh today.
The country is at a critical juncture of its fragile democracy. Much is at stake with the forthcoming elections in this densely populated country. Regrettably, however, the institutional framework and the acrimonious relations between the two main political parties do not bode well for a peaceful and democratic electoral process.
Over the last weeks and months, the Commission and the seven Member States with representations in Dhaka, as well as the wider international community, have been intensely engaged with the main party leaders and election stakeholders, urging all of them to agree on an electoral framework that achieves the trust of all parties. The EU regional Troika in February, local EU Presidency representatives and several high-level visits from the Commission and Member States have consistently emphasised the need for impartial guidance of the country by the Caretaker Government in the pre-electoral period, a neutral Election Commission, and a credible voter list.
As you might be aware, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner has taken the political decision to deploy an EU Election Observation mission for these elections. Preparation for the deployment of EU observers, including internal procedures between the institutions for financing the mission, are currently under way. In her letter to the President, or Chief Adviser, she underlines the above issues as the key concerns of the European Union.
The mission would be deployed around six weeks before election day, and it would remain in the country for some two to three weeks after that day, in order to follow the post-election period, particularly in the light of the unfortunate possibility of post-election violence, especially against minorities.
The Commission shares Parliament’s concerns over the widespread violence against journalists. The fact that the latest report by Reporters sans Frontières categorises Bangladesh as an extremely dangerous place for journalists unfortunately speaks for itself. The Commission has consistently condemned the intimidation and high level of impunity that apply to violent acts against journalists in that country."@en1
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