EU sees polls difficult under emergency: Stefan Frowein

European Union (EU) delegation chief Ambassador Stefan Frowein yesterday said European Commission (EC) sees difficulties in holding the general election under the state of emergency in Bangladesh.
“There are some difficulties in holding the elections while the emergency in force,” he told reporters replying to a question at the Election Commission (EC) secretariat after a meeting with CEC ATM Shamsul Huda.
Stefan, however, said the government would decide whether the emergency should be lifted or relaxed before the general election scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
The EU is trying to convince the political parties for their participation in the upcoming general election in the latest round of mediation, he added.
Asked whether the EU would send observers if the general election is held under the emergency, he said the EC for External Affairs would take the final decision about sending the election observation mission to Dhaka after analysing the situation.
Asked about the meeting, the EU diplomat said the discussion was on current situation. “I congratulated the CEC on holding the city corporation and municipal polls successfully on August 4.”
About the voter list, he said the voter lists with photographs have been used for the first time in the country's history and everything went on very fine all over.
Expressing satisfaction over the EC's work, he said such a big job that has been done by the EC is unique in the world. It is for the first time in Bangladesh that the EC was able to complete such a tough task in a short time which is totally correct, adding, “I think it should be going into the Guinness Book of World Records.”