GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION NEGOTIATE TERMS OF

UNCLAS DHAKA 001600 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL BG SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION NEGOTIATE TERMS OF DIALOGUE ON ELECTION REFORMS 1.(U) Summary: On March 20, ruling BNP Secretary General Bhuiyan formally invited AL leader Jalil for a dialogue on opposition demands for reform of the Election Commission (EC) and the neutral caretaker government system ahead of the next general elections. The AL-led opposition called the formal invitation a "primary victory" of their agitation for reforms but sought clarification whether non-MP's were included as well as other opposition partners. End Summary. 2.(U) The Awami League-BNP political dialogue on election reforms moved a step closer to substantive discussions on when BNP Secretary General Bhuiyan renewed BNP's invitation with a March 20 letter to Awami League (AL) Secretary General Jalil proposing a bi-partisan committee to review the AL's reform proposals. The AL has demanded changes to the Election Commission and neutral caretaker government as a precondition to its participation in the next general election, expected January 2007. Jalil responded to Bhuyian on March 22 asking for clarification regarding the composition and timeframe of the proposed committee, and whether AL,s alliance partners are included. The issue is important because not all of AL's alliance partners hold a seat in Parliament; thus, limiting participation to MPs would exclude those partners not represented in Parliament. Bhuiyan termed the opposition response to his letter "a positive development." 3.(SBU) The thaw in relations started when on Febrary 14 AL leader Shiekh Hasina returned to Parliament, ending her boycott, and submitted her reform proposals. As a response, PM Zia on February 28 proposed to form a committee with MPs or even with leaders of political parties not having any representation in Parliament to discuss the proposals. Bhuiyan's letter formalized that offer. The AL presidium and the 14-party alliance leaders termed the BNP's recent invitation a "primary victory" resulting from their street agitation. ¶4. (SBU) The BNP openness to compromise in any reform dialogue is unclear. On March 13, Zia publically repeated the BDG's position that the armed forces would remain under the control of the president during the caretaker regime, which is contrary to the opposition's demand to place the military under the authority of the caretaker government. Zia also retreated from her initial offer to include representatives from outside the Parliament on the committee, instead calling for committee membership to be limited to MPs. Hasina reacted to the public statements saying that Zia's original offer for talks was only a ploy to kill time, and questioned Zia's commitment to a contructive dialogue, given her public rejection of a key opposition demand. ¶5. (SBU) AL's commitment to a substantive discussion is also unclear. Citing insincerity, the opposition leaders refused to respond to a March 14 invitation over the phone from the Chief Whip of parliament to start the procedures for forming the committee as proposed by the PM. The AL said they would respond to formal written proposals only and reiterated their demand for acceptance of the reform proposals in principle before the start of any dialog. CHAMMAS