Time Digital Report: The US State Department is surprised why anyone would object when Washington calls for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.
"I don't know why anyone would object to us calling for free and fair elections. I will note that the prime minister of Bangladesh has repeatedly stated her own commitment to free and fair elections. It's a desire that we share as a friend and partner of Bangladesh for over 50 years," said the US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday.
He made the comment in response to a question on recent criticism from China, Russia and Iran that said the statements and letters from the US and European Union politicians were interference in Bangladesh's internal affairs.
Russia claimed last week that Western calls for "free and fair" elections in Bangladesh are an act of "neo-colonialism."
Russia Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova defined the calls as "another attempt at blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state."
Miller said Washington does not support one political party over the other, but a genuine democratic process.
"And as I said in response to another question earlier, we don't consider it interference in internal affairs when other countries raise our elections process with us. We welcome those discussions as an opportunity to strengthen our democracy, and we don't know why any other countries would object."
Asked on US Under Secretary Uzra Zeya's visit to Bangladesh, Miller said she will meet with senior government officials in Bangladesh, during her tour from July 11-14, to discuss shared humanitarian concerns, including the Rohingya refugee crisis, labour issues, human rights, free and fair elections, and combating trafficking in persons.
She will also engage with civil society leaders on freedom of expression and association, human labour rights – inclusive of vulnerable groups – and governance and democracy.
Zeya is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka Tuesday (today) after a four-day tour to India.
