UN will not send observers for the election: Stephane Dujarric

The United Nations will not be sending observers for the 13th national parliamentary election scheduled on 12 February.

This was announced on Monday during the regular press briefing of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson.

At the briefing, three questions regarding Bangladesh were put to the Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. The first was regarding the upcoming national election.

Asked whether the UN would send observers for this election, Dujarric said, “No. The UN does not send observers on its own without a mandate from the General Assembly or the Security Council. Therefore, we are not doing so at this time. However, the UN country office often provides technical assistance in elections. I can check and let you know whether they are providing any such support.”

The second question to Dujarric was how the UN views the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, to the country after 17 years, in the context of Bangladesh’s democratic progress.

In response, the spokesperson said, “We do not analyse the news; that is the role of journalists. Our role is simply to support, in every way, the elections that will take place through the political aspirations of the people of Bangladesh and their free expression of opinion.”

Meanwhile, when asked about the death of Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and three-time former premier Khaleda Zia, the UN secretary-general’s spokesperson said, “On her passing, we naturally extend our deepest condolences to her family and the people of Bangladesh.”