‘Geopolitics driving Western diplomats’ remarks’

News Desk :
The recent remarks by foreign diplomats about elections in Bangladesh, including the joint statement regarding the attack on Dhaka-17 by-poll candidate Hero Alom, have as much to do with as democratic values, says Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury.

“[The] foreign policy of these countries, as you say, Western countries, is a mixture of values and the geopolitical interest,” the international affairs analyst said in an interview with bdnews24.com’s Inside Out, reports bdnews24.com
“The urge for free, fair and participatory elections is a global thing. So why are only a few countries issuing statements?”

Shamsher pointed to countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India – with a history of fair elections – and asked why they had not issued similar statements.

“Why is it that only some countries in the West are issuing this statement? So we see something more behind this than just a quest for democracy and fair elections behind this joint statement.”

Diplomats’ remarks on Bangladesh as much about than democratic ideals: Shamsher Mobin
The former foreign secretary said that the attack on Hero Alom deserved condemnation, but that it was not the place of foreign diplomats to do so while breaking the Vienna Convention and ignoring the steps taken by the authorities when something untoward happens during polls.

“[The attack on Hero Alom] happened on Jul 17. On Jul 18, the home minister of Bangladesh himself went on record saying that this will be investigated properly, the perpetrators will be brought to, you know, arrested, investigated, identified and then the law will come into play,” Shamsher said.

“And that has already happened. I think a number of people have already been arrested, some have been sent on remand, so I do not see why the international community had to issue a statement after that.”

He noted that the West wrote the Vienna Convention, which bars foreign diplomatic missions from intervening in the domestic affairs of a host country.

Shamsher Mobin also said these foreign powers were often selective in their condemnations, skipping over incidents involving allies such as Israel’s judicial reforms or Egypt’s unopposed elections.

The erstwhile diplomat even questioned the need for international observers to certify the validity of the coming general election.

“I personally feel that after 52 years, Bangladesh should be in a position to hold an election where we do not need certification from election observers. Our people should be the election observers – our people themselves. This is a very democratic society.”

Bangladesh was born because West Pakistan did not respect the results of the 1970 election, Shamsher noted.

“Our people should have faith in the election system. That is the main thing.”
However, he was ambivalent about the performance of the current Election Commission and its potential to hold a free, fair and participatory general election.

“The performance of the current Election Commission headed by [Kazi Habibul] Awal has mixed results.”

Shamsher Mobin praised them for their work in the Gazipur and the suspension of the Gaibandha-5 by-poll due to irregularities but said their power had since diminished.
“The Election Commission has immense power on election day,” he said.

“We have not seen them exercise that policy. Our Election Commission has enormous power, but only on paper. A very, very small part of that is ever applied, if at all. And that is unfortunate. The election commission should demonstrate more authority that will give people, you know, confidence in the Election Commission.”

Asked whether he believed the BNP’s demands for a caretaker government for the general election would be met, Shamsher Mobin said, “Right at this moment, I don’t foresee that happening. I think the present government does not feel a compulsion that they should resign and a neutral non-party government is not even allowed in the Constitution.”

“So to do that, you have to amend the Constitution, which I frankly don’t see happening.”

He also noted that none of the foreign delegations that had recently visited Bangladesh had spoken of a non-partisan, interim government as the BNP was pushing for.

“The US delegation, specifically, made sure that they didn’t mention what type of government should be in office at election time. They’ve not mentioned the need for a caretaker government.

“They’ve not even said that we want to see a participatory election – they even dropped the word participatory. They have said free, fair and non-violent election, a peaceful election. So that I think shows where they stand,” the former top diplomat concluded.