CHIEF ADVISER ASSURES ARMY WILL BE NEUTRAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 006777

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

REL GBR CAN AUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BG
SUBJECT: CHIEF ADVISER ASSURES ARMY WILL BE NEUTRAL

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Butenis, reason para 1.4 d.


1. (C) Summary. Chief Adviser Ahmed told Ambassador that
controversial Election Commissioner Modahbir Chowdhury will
be replace with a pro-Awami League civil servant, and that
army units deployed in aid to civil administration have
strict instructs to act neutrally. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On December 13, Ambassador met for 25 minutes with
Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed. Presidential adviser Mukhlesur
Rahman and polcouns (notetaker) sat in.


3. (C) Ambassador began by recalling that she had strongly
supported the caretaker government at its outset, urging
Awami League president Sheikh Hasina to give Chief Adviser
extra time to demonstrate his commitment to a free and fair
election, and calling on both parties to stop pressuring the
government, either on the streets or behind the scenes.
However, she said, two recent developments have raised
concern: the resignation of four caretaker government
advisers who had worked effectively to promote inter-party
dialogue, and the nationwide deployment of the army well in
advance of elections when there was no evident law and order
justification.


4. (C) She noted that the caretaker government had been at
its best when Ahmed and his advisers had worked together, and
created a climate wherein the Awami League stopped its
blockade programs and started cooperating with the Election
Commission on voter list corrections. It is important to
empower the new advisers to be active to counter perceptions
that the caretaker government acts at the behest of the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party. It was unfortunate, she
observed, that controversial Election Commissioner Zakaria
could not be persuaded to depart since the aborted compromise
electoral package seemed so close to agreement.


5. (C) Ahmed replied that he had prevailed upon Chief
Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz to go on leave, and is
prepared to take other actions to break the political
impasse. Before Sultana Kamal resigned as a caretaker
government adviser, she reported Hasina's agreement to the
replacement of Modahbir Hussain Chowdhury, one of the newly
appointed election commissioners with pronounced ties to the
former ruling party, with Jamibul Haq, a retired civil
servant known to be strongly pro-Awami League. He indicated
that this and other issues would be discussed in a meeting
with the advisers tonight. Regarding Zakaria, Ahmed made it
clear he is not prepared to force the issue without the
endorsement of Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson
Khaleda Zia.


6. (C) Ahmed assured Ambassador that the army would act
neutrally, and agreed to receive from Ambassador any reports
to the contrary. He had stressed to the three service
chiefs, he said, that their only mission is to aid civil
administration, and acknowledged that troublemakers exist on
both sides of the political divide.


7. (C) The current situation, Ahmed concluded, "looks
positive," and he reiterated his confidence that both major
political parties would join the election.
BUTENIS