Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DHAKA3690
2006-06-20 10:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:  

STILL UNDER FIRE, ELECTION COMMISSION ADJUSTS

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM BG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4625
RR RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #3690/01 1711049
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 201049Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8912
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7489
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1178
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8591
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1480
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9178
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 003690 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM BG
SUBJECT: STILL UNDER FIRE, ELECTION COMMISSION ADJUSTS
VOTER LIST PLANNING

Classified By: Acting PolEcon Counselor David Renz; reason 1.4(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 003690

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM BG
SUBJECT: STILL UNDER FIRE, ELECTION COMMISSION ADJUSTS
VOTER LIST PLANNING

Classified By: Acting PolEcon Counselor David Renz; reason 1.4(d)


1. (U) SUMMARY. The Election Commission (EC) is trying to
move forward with plans for the voter list in the wake of the
Supreme Court decision which nullified the "fresh"
enumeration. The EC was forced to backtrack on its plans to
use some of the information gathered in the nullified
enumeration, but has refused to budge so far on its
insistence that it will not conduct a new door-to-door
enumeration. END SUMMARY

CHANGE IN PLANS FOR THE VOTER LIST
--------------


2. (U) The EC is increasingly under fire in the press and
from the opposition regarding its plans on how to implement
the Supreme Court decision nullifying its "fresh" voter
registration effort. With the opposition holding a "siege"
of the EC's Dhaka headquarters and district offices on June
20, the election commissioners have found themselves at the
center of the political disputes between the BDG and the
Awami League-led 14-party coalition.


3. (U) On June 12 the EC decided on a series of steps to
implement the Supreme Court decision. Several of the
measures announced provoked criticism in the media and from
former election commission members. The two most
controversial measures were that the EC could use information
gathered during the most recent ("fresh") enumeration that
was overturned by the Court; and that it would not conduct a
new door-to-door enumeration but instead would require people
to submit changes in person to local election commission
offices.


4. (U) On June 14 the EC backtracked, saying that it was
canceling its decision to use information from the "fresh"
enumeration. Acting Secretary of the EC Secretariat Mohammad
Zakoria told the press this decision was taken "to avoid
controversy and confusion." In spite of strong media
criticism, however, the EC has maintained its decision not to
go door-to-door again.


5. (C) Dr. Nazmul Kalimullah, chairman the NGO National
Election Observation Council (JANIPOP),told PolOff that the
main problem facing the EC was money. "The main motivation
about using the draft voter list information and for not

conducting a new door-to-door enumeration is fear of facing
blame about wasting public money," he said. According to Dr.
Kalimullah, the EC spent over $5 million on the "fresh"
enumeration and did not have the funds to go door-to-door
again.


6. (C) On June 18 PolOff and USAID met with Election
Commissioner (and former Secretary of the Election Commission
Secretariat) S.M. Zakaria to discuss the latest developments

SIPDIS
regarding the elections. Zakaria said that the EC, under
pressure from the media, had decided not to use any
information gathered during the recent enumeration process
for the nullified "fresh" list. However, the forms would be
kept on file so they could be used for "reference."


7. (C) According to Zakaria, the EC now plans to compile a
supplementary list that will indicate all new voters, voters
who have moved, and voters who have died since the last voter
list was compiled in 2000. On polling day, the election
workers will work off of two lists: the 2000 list with the
names of deceased voters or voters who have moved crossed
out; and the supplementary list with the new voters who have
registered since 2000. When asked if this could cause
problems or confusion on election day, Zakaria said that
"election workers know how to do their jobs, they've done
this many times in the past" and that working with the two
lists would not be a big problem or create significant delays.


8. (C) Responding to the media's criticism that the EC is
refusing to do another enumeration to register new voters,
Zakaria said that they had already tried to do a new
enumeration and the Court had overturned it. "We are very
frustrated because we tried to get a 100 percent list and
were stopped," he said. "We already went door-to-door once.
If I go door-to-door three or four times, no one will open
the door for me." He said that first-time voters will be
able to register at 6,273 sub-district offices from July 1 to
July 31, and that a public information campaign to inform
people about where they would need to go was being prepared
and would begin "within ten days." He added that there was

DHAKA 00003690 002 OF 002


no budget for the information campaign but that the EC would
do it "on credit."

FRANK TALK ON THE EC'S CREDIBILITY PROBLEM
--------------


9. (C) Zakaria spoke about the image problem of the EC. He
placed most of the responsibility on the media which he said
"has gone crazy, spreading wild things -- purely political."
He said that the EC was reluctant to engage the media more
frequently until an outstanding contempt of court case
against the EC was resolved.


10. (C) At the start of the meeting Zakaria expressed
optimism that the EC still had enough time to prepare for the
elections. However, when questioned further, his veneer of
confidence began to give way to frustration. He complained
about the Supreme Court, saying that its decision to nullify
the "fresh" voter list had rendered him helpless and
undermined his ability to fulfill his constitutional duties.
When asked if there was anything the EC could do to repair
relations with the media or improve its credibility with the
public, he said it would be difficult. "This stupid
government has lost all its friends," he told us. "This
stupid government has made everyone angry." He added that he
did not think the atmospherics would change until the Prime
Minister stepped down and the caretaker government took over.

REDISTRICTING: YET ANOTHER LOOMING ELECTION CONTROVERSY?
-------------- --------------


11. (C) Another issue that JANIPOP's Dr. Kalimullah raised
with PolOff was the need for the EC to conduct a new
"delimitation" (redistricting) exercise. According to Dr.
Kalimullah, the EC is required by law to conduct a new
delimitation of constituency borders every ten years, upon
submission of census data to the EC, which has not yet
happened.


12. (C) When PolOff and USAID raised this issue with Election
Commissioner Zakaria, he confirmed that this could become
another controversy. He said that the EC conducts
delimitations once they receive the census information, but
that they had not yet received the census data. If the data
is received close to the elections, leaving little time to
act, it will create additional problems.

COMMENT
--------------


13. (C) In addition to the political pressures they are
facing the commissioners have two practical problems: they
are running short of funds and time. Both will be a problem
if the EC is forced to buckle to critics and conduct a new do
another door-to-door enumeration. As an experienced election
organizer, Zakaria thinks that the money will eventually come
through, but that the time issue could create serious
logistical problems.


14. (C) The lack of a new enumeration also leads to potential
problems. New voters since 2000 could be left off the list
and dead voters will probably remain on it. This affects both
the BNP and the AL. Having dead or "ghost" voters on the
list does not harm either party -- indeed, both parties have
taken advantage of these "extra" voters in previous
elections. However, the BNP and AL also want as many of
their new members registered as possible, and if the EC
continues to refuse a new door-to-door enumeration, this
could leave many of those names off the list. This may
explain why certain BDG and BNP officials, including Law
Minister Moudad Ahmed, have begun expressing agreement with
certain AL critiques of the EC.
BUTENIS