NN Online:
UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis announced on Tuesday that they will meet with all political parties as part of their needs assessment process, focusing on the UN’s technical support to the election commission ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“As many as possible…they (needs assessment mission) will meet every political party we can think of in Bangladesh,” she said while responding to a question after the mission’s meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Lewis said her colleagues will assess what makes sense in terms of what the UN can offer as the Election Commission wrote to the UN requesting technical support.
She also made it clear that they are talking about parliamentary elections, not the local government elections, as the EC’s request for technical support came for the national election.
Asked about the BNP’s wish to have elections by August, the UN official said that is really a decision to be taken by political parties and the government. “We are not touching on timelines…that’s really a decision of the government of Prof Yunus and political parties to make.”
Lewis said her colleagues are on a mission here at the request of the Bangladesh Election Commission which wrote to the UN asking for technical support for the upcoming elections.
The needs assessment mission is looking into areas where the UN can support the election environment.
During their meeting at the election commission earlier in the day, the commission put forth a list of support requests, said the official.
She said the team will be in Chittagong on Wednesday and they will have various meetings with the stakeholders in the coming days followed by a feedback session with the election commission.
After coming back from Chittagong, they will meet civil society, academia, political parties and every stakeholder who will be involved in the election, said Lewis, adding that they will have a very busy schedule within the 10 days of their engagements.
The needs assessment process will be completed within 10 days following talks with the commission and other stakeholders, including civil society, academicians and political parties.
A UNDP delegation, accompanied by a needs assessment mission came from New York, first met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and then four election commissioners and officials at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
Based on the talks with stakeholders, there will be some recommendations made by the election commission over what technical support the UN could provide, said the UN resident coordinator.
She said the UNDP may extend assistance for a wide range of issues, including capacity development, technology support, and help over misinformation and disinformation.
Noting that the door-to-door works are going to start to update the electoral rolls, she said some technologies might be needed there.
Gwyn Lewis said the EC has made a request for technical support for different aspects of the work ranging from IT capacity development, help with misinformation and disinformation, and a wide range of issues.
“The (needs assessment) mission will finish it within 10 days and will come back here to present it before the EC,” she said.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the commission sought assistance from the UNDP for the election process.
The assistance is related to technology — hardware and software — training for capacity building, development of communication materials and other issues, he said, adding that the delegation came here to review the needs.
“They have talked to us and will talk to other stakeholders. They will come back to us with a proposal over the needs within 10 days,” he said.
