GASTRIGHT PRESSES NON-VIOLENCE AND FLEXIBILITY ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 006782

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV BG
SUBJECT: GASTRIGHT PRESSES NON-VIOLENCE AND FLEXIBILITY ON
POLITICAL LEADERS

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia Butenis, Reason(s): 1.4 (d)


1. (SBU) Summary and Introduction. On December 4-5, SCA
Deputy Assistant Secretary John Gastright met with senior
leaders of Bangladeshi's two major parties, Acting Chief
Election Commissioner Rahman, Caretaker Government Advisor
Akbar Ali Khan, and business leaders about the state of
Bangladeshi elections. He also gave interviews to a local
wire service and local TV station. Gastright hammered U.S.
points on support for free, fair, credible and non-violent
elections, the importance of dialogue to find acceptable
solutions to election issues and the potential consequences
should the military exceed its constitutional role. He
emphasized that violence has no place in a democracy and
urged the parties to pursue their aims peacefully. End
Summary and Introduction.

KHALEDA ZIA
--------------


2. (C) In his meeting with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Gastright praised BNP's
relative restraint on the streets and its flexibility on
several key issues. Zia affirmed her commitment to avoid
violence, and said she remains flexible on election
proposals, so long as they are consistent with the
constitution. She complained that Awami League President
Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly made new demands whenever her
previous concerns were addressed. BNP, she said, is
selecting candidates and is ready for elections. Zia opposed
any delay of elections beyond the 90-day constitutional
limit. The BNP does not want the military to intervene, she
said, but could not rule out a military role if the caretaker
government could not control a violent situation.

ELECTION COMMISSIONERS
--------------


3. (C) Gastright congratulated the Commission on its
productive partnership with the National Democratic Institute
(NDI),whose recent survey of the new voter list indicated an
error rate well within global norms and free of bias or
intimidation. Election Commissioner Zakaria noted that
double entries due to death and migration have always been
problematic but resolved through the correction process and
numerous checks and balances on voting day. He outlined the
Commission's seven-day drive starting December 8 to remove as
many of the excess names as possible. At Gastright's urging,
Rahman and Zakaria confirmed they would work with NDI to
facilitate voter list accuracy. All five Commissioners
insisted that electoral preparations are well underway for
successful, timely elections.

SHEIKH HASINA
--------------


4. (C) Awami League President Sheikh Hasina assured Gastright
that her only goal is free and fair elections, the
impediments to which she listed as: a dysfunctional caretaker
government; a flawed voter list; an unacceptable Election
Commission; and politicization of key civil service
positions. She had hoped the advisors' proposals would
resolve these issues and had thus suspended the opposition's
blockade program as a show of good faith; yet, the advisors
still had not formally contacted her about their decisions
nor had she seen any action to implement their proposals.
She would not rule out resuming the blockade but assured
Gastright the protests would be peaceful. What violence had
occurred was provoked, she claimed.


5. (C) On the voter list, Hasina dismissed anything short of
a new, nationwide door-to-door canvas "in accord with the
High Court decision," inconsistently asserting that the list
could be updated in several weeks and that the elections
should be postponed because of the time needed to produce a
new list. In addition to doubting the competence and
integrity of the Election Commission, Hasina wondered if
international monitors could detect serious election
irregularities.

BUSINESS LEADERS
--------------


6. (C) Gastright reviewed the political situation and its

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impact on business with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and
Exporters Association President Fazlul Haque, Federation of
Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce President Mir Nasir Hossain,
American Chamber of Commerce President Andrew Fawthrop and
the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President
Latifur Rahman. The business leaders detailed the economic
problems created by the nationwide blockades and strikes, and
stressed the need for stability. However, they unequivocally
agreed with Gastright that any extra-constitutional use of
the military would be undesirable and ineffective in breaking
the political logjam.

CARETAKER GOVERNMENT ADVISOR
--------------


7. (C) De facto senior Caretaker Government Advisor Dr.
Akbar Ali Khan stated that the crux of the political crisis
lay in opposition demands for reconstitution of the Election
Commission and a new voter list. He noted several possible
replacement formulas for commissioners now under discussion,
but said the sort of voter list the Awami League is demanding
would take a year to produce. He asserted that both Zia and
Hasina are relatively open to compromise but constrained by
hard-liners in their own party.

FOREIGN SECRETARY HEMAYETUDDIN
--------------


8. (C) Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin said there are no
foreign policy differences between the BNP and AL for either
the US or India. He welcomed the NDI voter survey as fair
and constructive, said the political impasse is driven more
by ego than issues, but compromise from both sides is needed
to move forward. Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Yunus,
national coalition government suggestion was interesting but
impractical, and said a military solution is a "natural
place" to look for stability, but the Bangladeshi military is
flatly disinterested in such a role. Hemayetuddin said the
military will be used, as before, to create a visible
deterrent to violence "few days before the election," but
would only deploy in force if absolutely necessary.

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


9. (C) Gastright's points received broad media coverage, with
the impact of his visit being spun differently by the two
political camps. BNP supporters attributed the lifting of
the opposition blockade to the visit, while the Awami League
attributed to USG "pressure" new BNP thinking on Election
Commission reconstitution. In the personality driven world
of Bangladeshi politics, it is sometimes easier to credit
positive action to outside third parties than the other side.



10. (U) This cable has been cleared by DAS Gastright.
BUTENIS