Australia supports Bangladesh poll
Updated
Next monday the people of Bangladesh will go to the polls for the first time in seven years in parliamentary elections intended to return the country to democratic rule. Australia is sending a team of election observers is contributing a million dollars towards paying for local observers.
Presenter: Corinne Podger
Bob McMullan, one of the Australian observers and Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance
- Listen:
- Windows Media
McMULLEN: Well, it's significant directly, but it's a step as you have correctly said back to democracy and Bangladesh is an under-estimated country and 160 million people, very substantial, significant country in our region and to see it restoring democracy is very important. But it's also important for us, because we're trying to significantly improve and enhance our relationship with South Asia, and this is one of the major countries of South Asia, with whom we want to work more closely in the future.
PODGER: How confident are you that these elections will succeed in returning Bangladesh to democratic rule?
McMULLEN: Well of course that is what I am going to look at and I have to be studiously neutral about it before I go, but reports so far are that the arrangements are going smoothly. The first prerequisite was the lifting of the state of emergency and that has occurred and so reports so far are positive, but I haven't got there on the ground to listen to dissenting voices, so I'm not sure, but I'm hopeful.
PODGER: And the Australian money that is being put towards local observers will fund more than 100,000 people, as far as I understand?
McMULLEN: Yes, there will be a flood of observers to enable people to be reassured of the legitimacy of the election outcome. What you have to look at is what takes place before the election, the campaigning on election day, the count, and the reporting of the result. Those essentially are the four key components and we'll have people - both external people, such as myself - but far greater numbers of local people out observing and reporting back on how the elections have been conducted.
PODGER: At the weekend, there were reports coming out of India of death threats against one of the main candidates, the leader of the Awami League Party, Sheikh Hasina. Are you satisfied that enough is being done to safeguard the security of the candidates?
McMULLEN: Well, it's hard for me to tell from this distance. The reports are that the Electoral Commission has requested a large number of troops to be spread out around the country to enhance security for the election and that's been done. But if you go back over history, there's a history of violence related to elections and therefore there must be some who will need to be on their guard with regard to that. But at the moment, I'm optimistic but optimistic from a distance. I will be having a closer look at it and I am leaving tomorrow and I will be having a closer look at it from Wednesday.
PODGER: And what about the voters, do you feel that there is enough protection for people to be able to cast their votes in safety or is that part of your role as an observer, to ensure that that's taking place?
McMULLEN: One of the things we certainly need to make sure is that people can on election day safely and efficiently and secretly conduct their vote. There are about 90 million registered voters, so it's a very big task when you think about it, about eight times what we have in Australia, so the logistics are significant and the literacy levels although quite high are not uniform, so there will be some significant logistical tasks. But 75,000 troops around the country I think should help, but there are thousands of voting places and millions of voters, so it's a major logistical task, it's a major security task, but both the major parties have agreed to participate in the election and so that's an encouraging sign.
PODGER: And just briefly, these elections come after a major anti-corruption drive by the government, to the highest levels. In fact, two of the candidates, Sheikh Hasina and her main rival, Khaleda Zia were jailed. They are now out of jail and contesting these polls as candidates. Overall, is the anti-corruption drive in your view been a success?
McMULLEN: Well, it was certainly an appropriate measure for the government to take and the assessment from those who observed it more closely is that some progress has been made, but there is still progress to be made. But the key thing is has this government put in place a capacity to conduct fair elections that will be accepted by both the winners and the losers. That's the key issue that we will be looking at. Has the legitimacy of the election been such that it will actually be a transition, the basis for a peaceful transition back to democracy? To assume that's going to be the case would be a courageous assumption.
