BOUCHER STRESSES NON-VIOLENCE, DIALOGUE, AND FREE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006665 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM BG SUBJECT: BOUCHER STRESSES NON-VIOLENCE, DIALOGUE, AND FREE ELECTIONS Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Butenis; Reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Assistant Secretary Boucher stressed to Bangladeshi political leaders U.S. government support for free, fair, credible and peaceful elections, and urged all parties to refrain from violence. Chief Advisor Ahmed expressed confidence that elections would take place peacefully and on time, while the heads of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League offered diametrically opposed views on the prevailing electoral environment. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) During his November 11-12 visit to Dhaka, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher SIPDIS called separately on President/Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed, Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Khaleda Zia. Ambassador, Senior Advisor Caitlin Hayden, and embassy notetaker accompanied. Boucher also gave a prominently covered press conference. FOREIGN MINISTRY: ALL ELECTION SYSTEMS GO ========================================= ¶3. (C) Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin defended Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz as "good, honest, and with integrity." The voter list, he asserted, has been updated with utmost care for its accuracy, and Aziz has done everything to minimize controversy. ¶4. (C) Asked about speculation President/Chief Advisor Ahmed might declare "emergency rule," Hemayetuddin said that the government is obliged under the constitution to ensure the life and security of the people. If the situation were to "totally break down," he would expect the government to bolster its forces to restore law and order. He added that he did not want "emergency rule," but it is "an option" to avert "total chaos." ¶5. (SBU) Breaking from election discussions for a moment, the Foreign Secretary repeated a request for Bangladesh to participate in the Millennium Challenge Program. Boucher explained that it was a criteria-based system and Bangladesh does not meet all of the indicators, particularly on corruption. We would look at it, Boucher promised. AWAMI LEAGUE: EVERYTHING IS AWFUL ================================= ¶6. (C) Sheikh Hasina said "our demand is free and fair elections," and complained that Chief Advisor Ahmed is not acting to "prove his neutrality." She said she is under pressure from her coalition partners to take a more aggressive stand, particularly since the Carektaker Government refuses to change the Election Commission, fix the voter list, or implement her other demands. "They haven't done anything," Hasina claimed. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, she continued, acts as if it is still in power. "We don't know who Ahmed is listening to." ¶7. (C) Hasina alleged that the voter list contains 14 million excess names. The Awami League is working at the local level to collect information to fix the list, but it has no "formal" contact with the Election Commission in Dhaka. Asked why the Awami League doesn't reach out to the Commission to address its concerns, party Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah interjected that "anyway, there isn't enough time left to fix the list." COMMENT: The Awami League has told us in confidence that it is in "unofficial" contact with the Election Commission. END COMMENT. ¶8. (C) Boucher reiterated U.S. support for "free, fair, and peaceful elections" and said the U.S. is deeply concerned about violence. Zafarullah claimed his party is committed to peaceful protest, and attributed the violence at the end of October to "provocations." Boucher noted that whenever two mobs are on the street, there is a strong likelihood for violence. He asked Hasina to extend the deadline she had given the Chief Advisor to act on her demands. While she did not respond directly, Zafarullah said the Awami League is organizing "a peaceful program of road blockage...If we don't see progress from the Chief Advisor on the Election Commission, we'll be out in a peaceful way, but if we are attacked it might lead to violence." BANGLADESH NATIONALIST PARTY: EVERYTHING IS FINE ============================================= === DHAKA 00006665 002 OF 002 ¶9. (C) Party chairperson Khaleda Zia told Boucher that the Chief Advisor is now "running the show" and that the only party pressuring the caretaker government is the Awami League with its long list of demands. She said the Chief Advisor had merely reshuffled positions, adding, "I don't mind if they make more changes." She expressed her support for the embattled Chief Election Commissioner, asserting he is non-partisan and constitutionally empowered. Zia also said her party felt the voter list was fine, and plenty of time remained to make corrections. ¶10. (C) Boucher said that the U.S. is concerned about violence in the run-up to the elections. Former Foreign Minister Morshed Khan stated that peaceful elections require "law and order," and that his party had not been involved in the recent violence, but if attacked they would defend themselves. Zia added the Awami League is just "creating problems....We don't ever resort to violence." PRESIDENT UPBEAT ================ ¶11. (C) President/Chief Advisor Ahmed downplayed the immediate prospects of violence, noting that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was staying out of the streets to avoid confrontation. He described his advisors as "nice people" who "know my door is always open." Noting the short amount of time to elections, he implied they did not have a major role to play in the Caretaker Government. Boucher expressed support for the Caretaker Government and encouraged Ahmed to use his advisers effectively and act as a team. ¶12. (C) Ahmed said he had already taken steps to address opposition demands, such as dismissing "many" government officials to show that the old administration is no longer in charge. More changes were in the pipeline. Regarding Chief Election Commissioner Aziz, Ahmed called him a "good man" who was constitutionally untouchable in his position, adding, "I just can't send him away." He expressed confidence that the elections would be peaceful and successful, noting his experience as an adviser in the informal 1991 caretaker government. "I think everything will work out fine." ¶13. (C) Ahmed assured Boucher he is not thinking about emergency rule as a response to the Awami League's blockade. "I'm not in that position yet." ¶14. (SBU) The President also took the opportunity to invite President Bush to visit soon, and expressed interest in having Under Secretary Burns in Dhaka in the future. ¶15. (U) This cable was cleared by Assistant Secretary Boucher. BUTENIS