Foreign election observers: Changes to be made in guidelines 

The Election Commission (EC) has taken the initiative to bring changes to the guidelines for foreign election observers ahead of the upcoming national parliament elections. The EC has taken this initiative after a meeting with the foreign ministry. 

A guideline had been drawn up in 2018 for foreign observers to monitor the elections. EC officials state that this will be updated. The EC secretariat will convene a joint meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the National Board of Revenue. This meeting is scheduled to take place on 23 August. The existing guidelines will be subject to review during this session. 

According to sources within the EC, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen met with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on 10 August. The focus of their meeting was the formulation of an 'up-to-date guideline' for foreign observers and journalists engaged in election monitoring. Following this discussion, an initiative was undertaken to establish an inter-ministerial committee led by the additional secretary of the EC Secretariat. This committee's purpose is to prepare draft guidelines for foreign observers and coordinate relevant meetings. 

The EC's current guidelines state that international observers must maintain strict political neutrality, provide proper identification during observation, meet the presiding officer first before going to the polling station, and obey the presiding officer's lawful instructions. Observers must maintain professionalism, none of the observers can make personal comments to the media before the observer team (a mission) has made a formal statement. Observers may not broadcast directly from the polling station to Facebook, Twitter or any other such social media. 

In addition, there are separate guidelines for domestic observers. According to that, only registered local organisations can monitor the elections. EC has initially selected (registered) 68 organisations for national election monitoring. A few of the 68 organisations initially selected for registration have been accused of political affiliation. Most of the organisations do not have enough manpower. It raised questions whether these organizations really have the skills and capacity to monitor elections impartially. 

In July of last year, a pre-election observation team from the European Union (EU) visited Dhaka in anticipation of the forthcoming national elections. During their visit, they engaged in meetings with various stakeholders, including the EC. The outcome of their observations, as documented in their report, will play a pivotal role in the EU's decision whether to deploy observers for the upcoming elections in Bangladesh. Conversely, the United States has announced that its pre-election observation team is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka at the beginning of October. 

According to EC sources, international observers, especially those representing the EU, have expressed interest in bringing specific equipment, such as 'vehicle trackers' and cameras equipped with vehicle identification technology, for their election monitoring activities. The EU's pre-election observation team wanted to know the procedural requirements for bringing in such equipment.

Additionally, the matter of taxation related to the import of these devices has arisen. The current EC guideline does not address the procedure for bringing in equipment of this nature. Consequently, there are discussions underway to incorporate guidelines for observers bringing equipment, in consultation with the relevant ministries. 

The existing guidelines provide several instructions on what foreign observers can and cannot do during election observation. A source related to the EC said that there may be some changes. However, it is not yet clear what kind of changes can be made. 

Election Commission Secretariat Additional Secretary Ashok Kumar Debnath told Prothom Alo that the Guidelines for Foreign Election Observer will be reviewed. An inter-ministerial meeting has been convened for this purpose on 23 August. 

According to the existing guidelines, any foreign observer who wants to come to monitor the election has to first apply to the EC. The EC verifies the application and sends it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs for approval. The Ministry of Home Affairs sends their clearance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes necessary steps regarding the visa. 

In the 11th national election held in December 2018, there were 38 invited foreign observers from the OIC and Commonwealth, as well as an additional 64 diplomatic or foreign mission officials. Alongside these groups, 61 individuals (all Bangladeshis) working in embassies, high commissions, or foreign organisations based in Bangladesh observed the election. 

The previous national election sparked various controversies both domestically and internationally. Prior to the election, concerns were raised about potential hindrances to the arrival of international observers. The then EC Secretary, Helaluddin Ahmed, faced criticism for his remark that observers should 'stay like idols' at polling stations. 

 *This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat