UNDP praises EC, pledges support for upcoming local polls

UNDP Bangladesh Resident Representative Stephen Rodriques today praised the Election Commission (EC) for successfully conducting the national election this year, describing it as “one of the single most successful and largest elections anywhere in the world.”

Following a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, other commissioners and the EC senior secretary, Rodriques said the polls marked “a turning point for Bangladesh and hopefully the path to a whole new future.”

At a press briefing after the meeting at the EC headquarters, he said that while the commission managed and organised the election entirely on its own, UNDP was proud to have been a partner, alongside other donors and UN agencies such as UN Women, UNODC and Unesco.

The discussions also focused on preparations for the upcoming local government elections and areas where UNDP and other UN agencies could extend support.

He stressed that such assistance would be “completely at the discretion of the Election Commission.”

“We discussed the next set of elections which are the local elections and the preparations being made by the national elections commission for those elections and where UNDP and the UN agencies can be of further assistance. This is of course completely at the discretion of the elections commission. They can determine when and where they would like our assistance.”

“I was extremely happy with the warm reception extended to me and my team,” he said, adding that collective efforts by the commission, government, civil society and citizens could ensure peaceful, free and fair local polls.