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Download PDF US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher yesterday said the caretaker government and the Election Commission must respect their neutral roles under the constitution in holding free and fair polls, without any outside influence.
“They must respect their constitutional role and act neutrally without being biased so people’s voice is heard,” he told reporters at the gate of Bangabhaban after his nearly an hour-long meeting with President and Chief Adviser Prof Iajuddin Ahmed.
Boucher, who came to Dhaka Saturday to assess the pre-election ground situation, said the Election Commission must be aware of its important job to make the elections free and impartial, free from any outside influence.
The US minister said he discussed with the chief adviser how to make the process in the run-up peaceful for a free and fair general election.
Boucher, here as part of his four-nation South Asian tour, was expected to leave Dhaka Sunday evening on conclusion of his shuttle mission through Bangladesh’s squabbling political camps.
BSS adds: President Iajuddin sought US cooperation for holding the upcoming elections as visiting called on him at Bangabhaban.
“The president and chief adviser expected US cooperation for his interim non-party government in holding the election as a friendly country,” a presidential spokesman told BSS.
The two countries have “very good” bilateral ties and Bangladesh values the United States as an important development partner, the president said.
During the 50-minute talks, the spokesman said the president told Boucher that his interim caretaker administration already took and decided to take all steps possible to ensure a “free, transparent and violence-free polls.”
Asked what they discussed about the chief election commissioner issue, the spokesman said: “both the president and Boucher agreed that the Election Commission is an independent constitutional body.”
He said the president told the US minister that he had asked the Election Commission to do everything possible to ensure a fair election.
The president, he said, told Boucher that he had urged the major political parties to resolve their disputes through talks in the interest of a peaceful election as well as democracy.
“I expect that the caretaker government will get fullest cooperation of the people of the country in general and the political parties in particular in discharging its constitutionally mandated responsibilities,” the spokesman quoted the president as saying.
The spokesman said the issues of bilateral interests largely featured the president’s talks with Boucher “who promised all possible cooperation of his country to Bangladesh’s interim administration saying the US has full confidence in his non-party government.”
“The United States welcomed the caretaker government immediately after it assumed the office,” Boucher told the president.
The spokesman said Boucher told the President he had requested leaders of the political parties to give the interim government more time for taking all required steps to ensure a fair election during his meetings with their leaders since his arrival yesterday.
“I told the political leaders to give the caretaker government more time to take all measures as it already has taken several steps for fair polls,” he quoted the US assistant secretary of state as telling the president.
The president greeted US President George W Bush and invited him to visit Bangladesh through Boucher who said he would convey the message.
Principal Secretary to the CA Ali Imam Majumdar, Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin and US ambassador in Dhaka Patricia Butenis were present.
Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, accompanied by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia Butenis, meet President and Chief Adviser to the Caretaker Government Prof Iajuddin Ahmed at Bangabhaban yesterday. PHOTO: PID
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