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Int'l media slam 'bloody', 'shunned' elections

Diplomatic Correspondent
Leading international newspapers and media bitterly criticised the January 5 parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and termed it one of the most violent elections in the country's history in which low turnout and a boycott by the opposition made the results a foregone conclusion.
The newspapers also blasted the political parties, especially the ruling Awami League for holding the one-sided election despite requests from the international community, including the United Nations for reaching consensus.
The media reports say the uncertainty has already cast a cloud over the sky of Bangladesh and apprehend that the country might face challenges from the international community, which has long been calling for an inclusive election.
The chaos surrounding Sunday's election plunges Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation, and could lead to more violence in the country of 160 million, says one of the newspapers.
The foreign media largely highlighted the ongoing widespread intimidation and violence, especially on the voting day deaths, arson attacks on public buildings, including schools and colleges.
In its special report with the headline "Bangladesh holds 'shunned' polls", The Telegraph of Calcutta said Bangladesh held a general election and the bets were not on who the winner would be but on when the next polls would be called.
"The token election— variously described as "farce", "sham” and “illegitimate” after an 18-party Opposition alliance boycotted it—is said to have clocked a low turnout," it said.
The daily reported that despite requests from the international community, including the UN, a consensus could not be reached and the one-sided election took place.
"The uncertainty has already cast a cloud on the cash cow—readymade garment exports-with reports of large-scale cancellation of orders trickling in."
A similarly one-sided poll in 1996, boycotted by the Awami League, had witnessed a mere seven percent turnout and forced Khaleda Zia to call fresh polls within months under a neutral non-party caretaker system, the newspaper reported.
"A section in the Awami League, however, is confident that the government can tide itself over the crisis by taking strong administra-
tive action against the Opposition and launching a series of development initiatives after the formation of the new government, besides carrying out the death sentences on some of those convicted of the 1971 war crimes."
The Telegraph also said one of the biggest challenges before the new government was expected to be posed by the international community, which was in favour of a participatory election process.
"Whether the international community will recognise the government or not is likely to be clear over the next couple of days,” according to the report.
Sources in the Indian foreign ministry have already started predicting another election.
In a report yesterday, the Voice of America (VoA) said preliminary results from the elections indicated that the ruling Awami League had won the elections, although the outcome was never in doubt because the main opposition party boycotted the poll.
Bangladesh’s ruling party cruised to victory in a bloody and disputed election, overshadowed by deadly violence which has fanned fears of a deepening political crisis in the South Asian nation, reported British daily newspaper The Times.
"Although the result was
never in doubt because of the country's main opposition party's decision to boycott the poll, by Monday morning the ruling Awami League party had won 105 out of the 147 contested seats”, it said.
India's largest English daily The Times of India reported that Bangladesh's ruling party won one of the most violent elections in the country's history, marred by street fighting, low turnout and a boycott by the opposition that made the results a foregone conclusion.
Although a win by the ruling Awami League was never in doubt, the chaos surrounding Sunday's election plunges Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and economic stagnation, and could lead to more violence in the country, said another leading daily, The Hindu.
In its web edition report headlined "Bangladeshi voters lose out in deeply flawed election", the Time magazine said violence and abysmal turnout underscored depths of nation's political crisis.
"With an opposition-led boycott of the vote leaving 153 out of 300 parliament seats uncontested, the foregone conclusion that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League (AL) would remain in power translated into an abysmal voter turnout of some 20%, according to early reports," the weekly said.