UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis on Tuesday said they will meet every political party that they can think of in Bangladesh as the need assessment process begins in terms of UN's technical support to the Election Commission ahead of the next parliamentary elections.
"As many as possible...they (need assessment mission) will meet every political party we can think of in Bangladesh," she said while responding to a question after the need assessment mission's meeting with Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The UNRC said her colleagues will assess what makes sense in terms of what the UN can offer as the Election Commission wrote to the UN requesting technical support.
Lewis also made it clear that they are talking about parliamentary elections, not the local government elections, as the EC's request for technical support came for the national election.
Asked about BNP’s desire to have elections by the middle of this year (by August), the UNRC said that is really a decision to be taken by political parties and the government. “We are not touching on timelines…that’s really a decision of the government of Prof Yunus and political parties to make.”
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Lewis said her colleagues are on a mission here at the request of the Bangladesh Election Commission which wrote the UN asking technical support for the upcoming elections.
The need assessment mission is looking into areas where the UN can support and the election environment.
During their meeting at the Election Commission earlier in the day, the EC came up with a list of support requests, said the UNRC.
She said the team will be in Chattogram on Wednesday and they will have various meetings with the stakeholders in the coming days followed by a feedback session with the Election Commission.
After coming back from Chattogram, they will meet civil society, academia, political parties and every stakeholder who will be involved in the election, said the UNRC, adding that they will have a very busy schedule within the 10 days of their engagements.
The need assessment process will be completed within 10 days following talks with the Commission and other stakeholders, including civil society, academicians and political parties.
A UNDP delegation, accompanied by a need assessment mission came from New York, first met Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin and then four election commissioners and EC officials at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
Based on the talks with stakeholders, there will be some recommendations made by the election commission over what technical support the UN could provide, said the UN resident coordinator.
She said the UNDP may extend assistance for a wide range of issues, including capacity development, technology support, help over misinformation and disinformation.
Noting that the door-to-door works are going to start to update the electoral rolls, she said some technologies might be needed there.
Gwyn Lewis said the EC has made a request for technical support for different aspects of the works ranging from IT capacity development; help with misinformation and disinformation and a wide range of issues.
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“The (need assessment) mission will finish it within 10 days and will come back here to present it before the EC,” she said.
EC senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the commission sought assistance from the UNDP for the election process.
The assistance is related to technology --hardware and software—, training for capacity building, development of communication materials and other issues, he said, adding that the delegation came here to review the needs.
“They have talked to us and will talk to other stakeholders. They will come back to us with a proposal over the needs within 10 days,” he said.