Quality of January elections undermined by pre-election environment, violence: NDI-IRI report

The quality of the January election was undermined by incidents of state, ruling party, and opposition violence, as well as a pre-election environment characterised by increased political polarisation, violence among political actors, contracting civic space, and worsening freedoms of expression and association, according to a report prepared by the joint mission of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI).

The Technical Assessment Mission (TAM) of NDI and IRI, deployed to Bangladesh to monitor potential electoral violence conditions before, during, and after the country’s January 7, 2024 parliamentary elections, released its final report on Sunday.

The mission found that the 2024 election period, including the campaign period, election day and immediate aftermath, had less physical and online violence compared to previous election cycles, primarily due to the absence of nationwide partisan competition and the state’s increased focus on election security.

“This report provides a valuable roadmap for more peaceful elections in Bangladesh’s future,” said Manpreet Singh Anand, NDI’s regional director for the Asia-Pacific. “Leaders across the sociopolitical spectrum — including political parties, the government, and civil society – have a responsibility to reform the rules, practices, and norms of electoral politics toward nonviolence.”

“Election violence is a key deterrent of citizen participation,” said Johanna Kao, IRI’s senior director for the Asia-Pacific Division. “For Bangladesh’s elections to be fully inclusive and participatory, all sides need to prioritize nonviolent politics.”

During its stay in Bangladesh, the TAM’s five accredited long-term analysts met with election and government officials, security actors, political party leaders from across the political spectrum, journalists, civil society organisations including those focusing on youth, women, persons with disabilities, and religious minorities, as well as with accredited international observer missions.

The document provides a thematic analysis of different types of election violence and includes recommendations to the Bangladesh Election Commission, the executive and legislative branches of government, political parties, civil society, and other stakeholders based on IRI’s and NDI’s comparative experience, to mitigate the risks of violence in future elections, in the furtherance of international cooperation and with respect for the sovereignty of Bangladesh.

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