ELECTION COMMISSION TO REJECT IDP REGISTRATION

S E C R E T DHAKA 001138 SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/CT AND SCA/PB E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2018 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PINR PINS KDEM ASEC BG SUBJECT: ELECTION COMMISSION TO REJECT IDP REGISTRATION REF: A. DHAKA 1117 ¶B. DHAKA 1108 ¶C. DHAKA 1078 ¶D. SECSTATE 114426 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (S) Election Commissioner Brigadier General (retired) Sakhawat Hossain told the Embassy on 10/30 the Commission would reject the Islamic Democratic Party's attempt to register for Parliamentary elections in December. The party was formed earlier this year by senior members of Harakat ul-Jihad-Islami-Bangladesh (HUJI-B),which is designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Government. The rejection comes after Post relayed to a number of senior Bangladeshi government and military officials strong USG opposition to the creation of the IDP. The Embassy will keep an eye out for indications of a violent HUJI-B response to the rejection of the party. -------------- NO TO THE IDP -------------- ¶2. (S) Election Commissioner Hossain told the Embassy's locally engaged political staff the Commission would reject the IDP's request to register for the December 18 Parliamentary vote. He cited the party's vow to run the country based on the "Medina charter," a political document dating from the Prophet Mohammad, as the reason for disqualification. In effect, the Commission ruled the party's consitution called for creation of an Islamic state, contravening the national Constitution that states Bangladesh is a republic. His comment came one day after media reports quoted the Election Commission Joint Secretary Nurul Islam Khan as saying the IDP would be disqualified. Hossain noted any disqualified party can challenge a Commission decision in the High Court; the Commission itself does not have an appeals process. Local news reports confirmed on 10/30 that the IDP had received a letter from the Chief Election Commissioner rejecting the party's application for registration. -------------- -- DECISION FOLLOWS STRONG USG CONDEMNATION OF IDP -------------- -- ¶3. (S) In recent weeks, Post spoke to several top Bangladeshi military and political leaders to express strong USG opposition to the IDP (reftels A and B). The Ambassador delivered the message in private to Foreign Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Home Affairs Adviser Gen. (retired) M.A. Matin, Chief of Army Staff General Moeen Uddin Ahmed, and Director General of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Major General Golam Mohammad. (Note: The DGFI drove the formation of the IDP in an effort to bring the HUJI-B above ground. HUJI-B also is banned by the Bangladeshi government. End note.) After hearing the USG objections, Moeen and Mohammad vowed to do what they could to thwart the IDP's registration. -------------- COMMENT: WHAT WILL HUJI-B DO NEXT? -------------- ¶4. (S) Despite the effort to join the political process through the IDP, the HUJI-B has not renounced the use of violence. The HUJI-B will no doubt be angered by the Election Commission decision. The Embassy will maintain close contact with Bangladeshi law enforcement and intelligence services to determine whether the HUJI-B plans to violently vent its displeasure toward the Election Commission decision, including possibly targeting the U.S. Mission or U.S. interests. Moriarty