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