EC to bar biased foreign observers from elections

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin stated that biased foreign observers will not be permitted in the upcoming elections. 

He made the remarks during a meeting with a Canadian High Commission delegation at the Election Building in Agargaon on Tuesday morning.

The Election Commission (EC) will launch a nationwide voter awareness campaign, announced the CEC.

Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Ajit Singh, met the CEC to discuss preparations for the 13th National Parliament elections. 

After the hour-and-a-half-long meeting, the CEC outlined the EC’s efforts, saying, “The delegation team inquired about our ability to deliver effectively based on our preparations across various sectors. I detailed our plans, particularly the upcoming voter awareness campaign.” 

Canada expressed support for initiatives like training polling officers, observers, and agents, alongside the voter awareness programme, the CEC said.

The CEC noted that Canada is willing to assist, with ongoing discussions. 

“They want free and fair elections,” he said, adding that Canada inquired about women’s inclusion in voter registration and awareness efforts in hilly areas. 

The EC assured them that preparations are in progress and emphasised measures to prevent AI misuse in elections. 

“AI misuse is a threat to us as well. Canada faced this in their last election and has offered assistance based on their experience,” the CEC said.

He expressed confidence in receiving support from Canada and other countries for fair, free, and impartial elections.

The Canadian High Commissioner reportedly expressed satisfaction with the EC’s commitments. 

When asked if the election date or timeframe was discussed, the CEC clarified, “They asked if a specific date was fixed. I said ‘no.’ There was no discussion on the timeframe. I’ll inform you two months before the voting day.”

On the topic of foreign observers, the CEC said the EC has invited the European Union to participate and is finalising its observer policy. 

“The EU has been asked to coordinate observers from 28 countries in advance,” he said. 

However, he firmly stated that biased observers would be excluded: 

“We won’t approve those who certified the last three elections as ‘very good’ or ‘acceptable.’ We will only accept experienced, reliable observers with a proven track record in other countries,” the CEC continued.