A five-member delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) from the USA has arrived in Bangladesh as the advance team to observe the 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election slated for January 7, 2007.
Another delegation comprisinf 12 members from the IRI and NDI is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka to observe the polls.
The five-member delegation will stay in Bangladesh for six to eight weeks, according to a press release published on the IRI website on Saturday (December 23) local time.
According to IRI and NDI, the joint delegation of IRI and NDI arrived in Bangladesh last week. The delegation will monitor and assess the situation before, during and after the January 7 election.
The delegation consists of five analysts. They have been given approval by the Election Commission of Bangladesh and will stay in Bangladesh for six to eight weeks. They will do a thematic analysis of various types of situation centrig the JS polls.
The delegation will also look into roles of different state bodies in dealing with any situation. Apart from this, the delegation will present an assessment report at the end of the electoral process with constructive recommendations.
Earlier, a delegation consisting of NDI and IRI members visited Bangladesh from October 8 to 11 to assess the pre-election situation.
In accordance with the recommendations of that mission and the declaration approved by the United Nations in 2005, the delegation consisting of NDI and IRI will work in Bangladesh to observe the elections. The advance delegation includes three members from NDI and two from IRI.
