AWAMI LEAGUE BOYCOTT; INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DHAKA 000017

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM BG
SUBJECT: AWAMI LEAGUE BOYCOTT; INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
RESPONDS

REF: DHAKA 13

Classified By: Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis; Reason 1.4(d)


1. (SBU) The Awami League (AL) and its alliance partners
followed through on their January 3 announcement that they
would boycott upcoming parliamentary elections (reftel) by
withdrawing virtually all of their nominations. Media
reported that 2,370 nominations were withdrawn by the AL and
its allies leaving 1,565 active nominations. Existing
election procedures leave no scope for refilling the
nominations.


2. (C) The Ambassador met January 4 with her counterparts
from the UK, German, Australian, EU and UN missions to
coordinate the international response. Participants agreed to
a consistent message emphasizing three themes: elections
would not be credible without the participation of all major
parties (i.e., the Awami League and its alliance partners);
the Caretaker Government is responsible for creating
conditions that ensure the participation of all major
parties; and violence must be avoided. Participants agreed
to make these points to political leaders both privately and
through coordinated press statements. Ambassador and UK High
Commissioner Chowdhury are requesting joint calls on both BNP
Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Awami League President Sheikh
Hasina to emphasize our concerns.


3. (C) The EU suspended its 100 member short-term observation
mission. They anticipate making a public announcement by
January 7, when some members had planned to arrive, that the
mission is cancelled. The EU's 40 member long-term observer
mission, which is already in country, will remain but their
mission will change from an observation mission to an
assessment mission. The USAID funded National Democratic
Institute (NDI),in consultation with USAID, will cancel its
short-term observer mission and will reduce its long-term
observer mission from a planned twenty members to the
fourteen members currently in country. As with the EU, NDI's
long-term observers will shift their focus from observation
to assessment. USAID is in similar discussions with the
International Republican Institute (IRI) concerning their
observer missions.


4. (C) In concert with other missions, the Ambassador will
privately contact advisors in the Caretaker Government to
convey our core messages. Embassy has delivered these points
to the President's senior advisor, Mukhlesur ("Mukhles")
Rahman Chowdhury. Mukhles promised to convey the message to
the President but also defended the Caretaker Government's
plans to proceed with elections as scheduled. The Ambassador
also spoke with BNP's Reaz Rahman. When Rahman pressed for a
proposed US solution, the Ambassador reminded him it was the
responsibility of the Caretaker Government to ensure
participation by all parties in elections.


5. (C) Finance Advisor Dr. Shoeb Ahmed contacted the Embassy
to ask us to encourage the parties to avoid violence. He
said the Chief Advisor has yet to convene a meeting of all
the advisors to discuss a course of action, accusing him of
"dilly-dallying." Dr. Shoeb Ahmed suggested that referring
the constitutional question whether elections must be held
within 90 days to the Supreme Court for decision could
provide a way out of the current impasse, assuming the court
authorized/ordered a postponement of elections.
BUTENIS