Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DHAKA6780
2006-12-13 08:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dhaka
Cable title:
HASINA REPORTEDLY ORDERS TROOPS TO PREPARE FOR
how-toVZCZCXRO3705 PP RUEHCI DE RUEHKA #6780 3470855 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 130855Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2806 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9515 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1396 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 8830 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 7680 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1567 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA
C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 006780
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
REL GBR CAN AUS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BG
SUBJECT: HASINA REPORTEDLY ORDERS TROOPS TO PREPARE FOR
ELECTION
Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, reason para 1.4 d.
C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 006780
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
REL GBR CAN AUS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BG
SUBJECT: HASINA REPORTEDLY ORDERS TROOPS TO PREPARE FOR
ELECTION
Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, reason para 1.4 d.
1. (C) At 1430 local December 13, Awami League Organizing
Secretary Mukhul Bose called us to report that he had just
SIPDIS
left a meeting where party president Sheikh Hasina had
instructed mid-level officials to prepare for elections. She
reportedly stated she would continue to voice various
demands, including changes in the election schedule, but the
party should anticipate elections before the 90-day election
clock effectively runs out on January 25.
2. (C) Comment: Although by no means definitive, this is good
news. It is the best evidence to date the Awami League will
not boycott the election, and it tracks with several positive
Awami League actions in the past two weeks:
A) After previously rejecting the voter list as hopelessly
flawed with 14 million "ghost" voters and demanding a new
nationwide enumeration, party officials at the national and
local levels last week began cooperating with Election
Commission workers to correct the voter list. Significantly,
the Awami League's new emphasis is to ensure that its
supporters are registered, not removing the millions of ghost
voters that are largely attributable to migration and other
benign factors.
B) The Awami League dropped blockades even as a threat,
reverting instead to small, peaceful sit-ins and rallies.
C) The Awami League's reaction to the nationwide deployment
of the military was measured, reasonably calling on the army
to act in a neutral and lawful manner.
D) Hasina and her household relatives registered to vote.
E) Hasina stated that her party could be ready for elections
in a matter of hours. This suggests she has already lined up
the Awami League nominees for parliament and will bypass a
laborious committee process (which has not begun) technically
charged with this responsibility.
F) Hasina rejected calls from party hard-liners to launch a
formal one-point program to oust Ahmed as Chief Adviser.
BUTENIS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
REL GBR CAN AUS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: KDEM PGOV BG
SUBJECT: HASINA REPORTEDLY ORDERS TROOPS TO PREPARE FOR
ELECTION
Classified By: P/E Counselor D.C. McCullough, reason para 1.4 d.
1. (C) At 1430 local December 13, Awami League Organizing
Secretary Mukhul Bose called us to report that he had just
SIPDIS
left a meeting where party president Sheikh Hasina had
instructed mid-level officials to prepare for elections. She
reportedly stated she would continue to voice various
demands, including changes in the election schedule, but the
party should anticipate elections before the 90-day election
clock effectively runs out on January 25.
2. (C) Comment: Although by no means definitive, this is good
news. It is the best evidence to date the Awami League will
not boycott the election, and it tracks with several positive
Awami League actions in the past two weeks:
A) After previously rejecting the voter list as hopelessly
flawed with 14 million "ghost" voters and demanding a new
nationwide enumeration, party officials at the national and
local levels last week began cooperating with Election
Commission workers to correct the voter list. Significantly,
the Awami League's new emphasis is to ensure that its
supporters are registered, not removing the millions of ghost
voters that are largely attributable to migration and other
benign factors.
B) The Awami League dropped blockades even as a threat,
reverting instead to small, peaceful sit-ins and rallies.
C) The Awami League's reaction to the nationwide deployment
of the military was measured, reasonably calling on the army
to act in a neutral and lawful manner.
D) Hasina and her household relatives registered to vote.
E) Hasina stated that her party could be ready for elections
in a matter of hours. This suggests she has already lined up
the Awami League nominees for parliament and will bypass a
laborious committee process (which has not begun) technically
charged with this responsibility.
F) Hasina rejected calls from party hard-liners to launch a
formal one-point program to oust Ahmed as Chief Adviser.
BUTENIS