No UN election observers without UNGA mandate: UN

Staff Reporter :

The United Nations has stated that it will not send election observers to Bangladesh without a formal mandate from the UN General Assembly or the Security Council.

“No. The UN itself doesn’t send observers unless mandated by the General Assembly or the Security Council. That’s no longer something we do,” said UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a media briefing at UN Headquarters on January 5. He made the remarks in response to a journalist’s question about the February 12 election.

Dujarric added that the UN country office may provide technical support, which is a routine part of its electoral assistance, but this does not involve sending observers.

When asked about BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s return after 17 years, he said, “I’m not an assessor of news. Journalists assess news. We will support elections and the Bangladeshi people’s free expression of their political vision in any way we can.”

Regarding the passing of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Dujarric said the UN would send condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.