City, Municipality Elections

Over 5,500 local and international election observers will monitor the August 4 polls, the first ones to be held under the state of emergency.

What many consider a litmus test for the Election Commission's (EC) preparations for the all-important ninth parliamentary polls, the forthcoming local elections have generated a huge interest among the foreign missions in Dhaka and non-government organisations.

Political analysts say the next month's polls to four city corporations and nine municipalities are crucial also in that they would determine whether a free and fair election is possible under the state of emergency.

So far 16 foreign missions have announced plans to employ 119 observers in the polls while local organisations have sought the EC's permission to deploy around 5,500 observers, sources in the EC Secretariat said.

In the last city corporation polls, held on April 25, 2002, only NDI and the British and Canadian high commissions had election observers and that too was for only the capital. This time, they prepare to observe polls in all four city corporations and some of the nine municipalities.

The number of foreign monitors in 2002 was 19 while that of local ones was 1,883.

The next month's local government election will be the first ones under the military-backed caretaker administration that took over on January 12 last year, a day after the state of emergency was promulgated. It will also be the first election to be conducted by the reconstituted EC.

Major political parties and different foreign missions have repeatedly argued that it would be difficult for the EC to ensure a free and fair conduct of the parliamentary election with the state of emergency in force.

In response, the caretaker government said whether to go for a complete withdrawal of the state of emergency for the parliamentary polls would be decided in the light of how the August 4 polls go.

On June 20, the EC announced the election schedule for four city corporations and nine municipalities. The same day the government relaxed the emergency power rules to allow rallies and processions in the areas going to polls.

According to the electoral rules, the electioneering that began on July 14 will end 32 hours before the polling starts at 8:00am on August 4. The emergency rules will switch back to full mode automatically with the end of electioneering. It means the polls will be held amid the state of emergency in full force.

Of the foreign missions, the European Union Delegation has sought permission for eight observers to be in Khulna and Rajshahi cities and Manikganj municipality, German embassy for three to be in Sylhet city, Swedish embassy for four in Sripur of Gazipur and Phulbaria of Mymensingh, Danish embassy for two in Phulbaria, NDI(National Democratic Institute) for seven in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet cities, Dutch embassy for three in Dupchanchia of Bogra, Turkish embassy for two in Sripur, Italian embassy for one in Manikganj, Japanese embassy for 10 in Sripur and Manikganj, Norwegian embassy for one in Phulbaria and Swiss embassy for one observer in Sripur municipality, according to a report by the EC Secretariat.

Besides, the British high commission wants to employ 11 observers, French embassy seven, IRI (International Republican Institute) 28, USAID 26 and DFID four. The report however did not specify the election areas where the observers will be posted.