Election Reform for a Sustainable

Democracy in Bangladesh
October 22, 2007

Presentation to General Moeen U. Ahmed

Election Reform – PAL 231 – Fall 2007
Professor David C. King

Yalda Aoukar, Alagi Jallow, Juan Carlos Jobet, Athanasios Kontogeorgis, Jeremy
Kress, Fernando Rodrigues, Eli Rosenbaum, Nalinee Joy Taveesin, David
Winterle
 Legitimizing Democracy

● Acknowledge tradeoffs:
- Freedom, Order, Equality
- Stability and Representation
● Honor your country’s democratic traditions
● Use “sunshine” as a disinfectant to combat
corruption
● Institutionalize a culture of compromise and
tolerance
 Contents

Part 1: Election Reform

Part 2: Elements of a Sustainable Democracy in Bangladesh

 Election Reform
Timeframe for Elections
Current situation
● Municipal elections
expected in early 2008
● Updated voter list
expected by July of 2008
● National elections
expected in October 2008
Recommendations
● Finish the voter list within 6
months (using all public
resources available)
● Hold municipal elections with
the new voter file
● Hold national elections before
October 2008
● Involve international observers
during the pre-election, election-
day and post-election periods
 Election Reform

Voter List
Current situation Recommendations

● Voter file is being built with ● Engage civil society in the

the help of the military
● 80 million voters are
expected to be issued
identity cards
● Widespread belief of
“phantom voters” in the
older list
building of the voter list
● Seek international assistance
in registering voters
● Make the “old” voter list freely
accessible to the public on the
internet
● Provide access to new voters
list upon completion
 Election Reform

Electoral Rules
Current situation Recommendations

● Adhere to electoral rules used

● Elections were not held on in previous elections (1)
January 22, 2007
● Enforce campaign expenditure
● Unclear electoral rules for limits and introduce full
municipal and national transparency for electoral
elections money
● Election Commission ● Give equal broadcast time to
currently working under political parties on state-
surveillance of caretaker owned media
government
● Defer other electoral reforms
----------------
to a future elected Parliament
(1) Representation of the People Order 1972 and Electoral Code of Conduct 1996
 Election Reform

Political Parties
Current situation Recommendations

● Several political leaders are ● Encourage compromise and

in jail
● No organized opposition
● Political parties and civil
society seem to have little
political input into the
Election Commission
coalition building among
political parties
● Allow ballot access to all
parties that took part in the
2001 national elections
● Give new parties ballot
access if they fulfill law in
place before the 2001
elections
Elements of a Sustainable
Democracy
 Elements for a Sustainable Democracy

Transition to Elections
Current situation Recommendations

● State of emergency ● Lift the state of emergency

● Make all actions of the
● Political uncertainty transitional government
transparent to the public
● Include all political
● Economic instability
organizations during the
transition
● Establish a national education
campaign about voting rights
 Elements for a Sustainable Democracy

Rule of Law
Current situation Recommendations

●The Constitution has, ● Provide fair trials to all

essentially, been
circumvented
● Many arrests since January
2007 on allegations of
corruption. Activists jailed
with uncertainty about
timing for trials.
● Separation of the Judiciary
from the Executive not
complete.
political jailed since January
2007
● Release comprehensive
data on all arrests made
since the adoption of the
state of emergency
● Publicize and adhere to the
transitional government’s
road map for an
independent Judiciary
 Elements for a Sustainable Democracy

Freedom of Expression
Current situation Recommendations
● Allegations of censorship, or ● End censorship
self-censorship, due to political
pressures ● Repeal or amend
repressive media decrees
● History of abuse: publishers and
journalists sued by politicians ● Ensure transparency in
over “defamatory” articles in granting licenses to
2006 media companies
● Internet Providers have been ● Abide by Article 19 of the
asked to release users’ identities Universal Declaration on
and activities Human Rights (1)

Article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas through any media regardless of frontiers”.
Election Reform for a Sustainable
Democracy in Bangladesh
October 22, 2007

Presentation to General Moeen U Ahmed

Election Reform – PAL 231 – Fall 2007
Professor David C. King

Yalda Aoukar, Alagi Jallow, Juan Carlos Jobet, Athanasios Kontogeorgis, Jeremy
Kress, Fernando Rodrigues, Eli Rosenbaum, Nalinee Joy Taveesin, David
Winterle