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E.U. suspends poll mission to Bangladesh

BRUSSELS: The European Union on Thursday suspended its mission to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections in Bangladesh, which it says lacks the conditions for ``credible and meaningful elections.''

The European Commission, the E.U.'s executive body, has recalled the long-term observers already in Bangladesh and will not proceed with the other phases of its observation mission, E.U. Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.

Ms. Ferrero-Waldner said she was ``concerned about the development of the situation in Bangladesh over the recent weeks.'' The E.U. and other international partners had called on all parties and stakeholders to work toward an election process which meets the rights and expectations of the people of Bangladesh and satisfies international democratic standards, but this had not happened, she said.

In view of this, and the decision of Bangladesh's major Opposition parties to withdraw from the January 22 elections, the E.U. Commissioner decided to cancel the observation mission because the monitors will not be able to carry out their tasks.

``Agreement on the conditions for the elections by the election stakeholders is a prerequisite for credible and meaningful elections and these do not currently exist,'' she said.

The E.U. is ready to re-start the observation mission if acceptable conditions for democratic elections are agreed by election stakeholders, she said.

The United Nations has also suspended all technical support to the electoral process.— Xinhua

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