[Reader-list] Bangladesh & Death By Thousand Cuts

[NAEEM MOHAIEMEN]

Bangladesh's year-long debacle over coming elections
continues. Today the interim government announced a
flash date for elections (January 21st 2007) without
resolving any of the issues the opposition had raised.

Crooked election commissioners, even more crooked
acting president, legal system politicized and in
chaos, 15% bogus voters, total disenfranchisement of
non-Muslim and non-Bengali minority votes, absolutely
not one iota of reassurance of fair elections––every
issue remains unresolved.

The center-left 14-party opposition has refused to
participate in the polls.

Only the ruling rightist-islamist 4-party coalition
wants to hold the elections. Why not, they hold all
the cards and all the king's men.

EU and UK to send a record number of election
observers.  If you are a EU citizen, please consider
registering to become an Election Observer to
Bangladesh (see bottom of this e-mail-- note UK
citizens do it through ERIS, other EU citizens may
need to do it @ different website).

EU or no EU, The elections cannot happen on schedule
and we may look at months of confrontation between the
ruling rightist-islamist coalition (and the interim
government, which is riddled with sympathizers to the
rightists) and the center-left coalition of 14
parties.  A coming meltdown or the men in khaki again?
Or will the Islamists stop using all these proxies and
finally make their move to grab direct power?

-Naeem Mohaiemen

#####
Some background reading...

What's Really At Stake: Islamic or Secular State?
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2006/11/16/cultural-radicalization/

To The Polls, Unless Your Name Be Das, Tripura, Roy
http://shobakorg.blogspot.com/2006/11/das-tripura.html

Military Coup Again? Generals In Labyrinth
http://shobakorg.blogspot.com/2006/11/general-labyrinth.html

The Magic 15%: What's The Big Deal With Voter List?
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/20/d611201501150.htm

Dissent & Death: Rough Drive in Kawran Bazar
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2006/11/13/rough-drive/

Secret Meetings: Like a Bad Noir Movie
http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2006/11/25/picture-of-the-day/

Rushed Meetings, Bogus Election Date
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/28/d6112801011p.htm

Party Man Made New Election Commissioner
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/28/d6112801022.htm

What Now? Death of a Thousand Cuts
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/24/d61124020331.htm

Small World After All (w/ apologies to Disney)
http://shobakorg.blogspot.com/2006/11/vote-dakathi.html

Chaos in Court as Lawyers Move to Block Elections
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/11/28/d6112801149.htm

Ongoing News Updates

http://bdnews24.com/home.php

http://thedailystar.net

#####
EU BANGLADESH ELECTION OBSERVER DATABASE

UK: Register EU Election Observer Team To Bangladesh
http://www.eris.org.uk/missions/eu/eu.php

Other EU: Register @ EU Election Observer Roster
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/observer/index_en.htm

Please note that ERIS only recruits UK citizens, for
those observers in other EU member states, please
contact your respective Foreign Ministries.


 
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