Interim Government needs time for reforms, No pressure for Election: EU

European Union (EU) Ambassador Michael Miller has said the interim government should be given sufficient time to carry out necessary reforms, underlining that there is no “pressure” from the EU over the election date.

Speaking at a discussion organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh at the National Press Club on Monday, Miller said that the government needs “breathing space” to figure out the extent of agreement that is reached.

“There was a question about timing and I think I have to say, [it is] a matter for Bangladesh to take a decision upon,” he said. “We see this political transition as leading up to democratic elections so that the important milestone [can be reached]... the EU, we don’t have an opinion on time and we are not pressuring anyone to hold elections on a particular date.

“We do think there needs to be sufficient time to implement reforms and under this interim government, so we think that is something where a breathing space needs to exist…” He added, “We think that. Let us see how much consensus is created across the timeline.”

Noting that the National Consensus Commission has been hard at work to bring everyone to an agreement, he said: “We support an ambitious reform agenda and we are waiting for the political parties and the interim government to agree on. Or, we hope for what will be a very clearly prioritised and a specific list of reforms that we can get by.

“As I mentioned, I think we do have experiences which [are] helpful, we do have financing which can support [reforms] and we have the political [goodwill] to stand with you in this work.”

Backing the United Nations (UN) report on the killings that occurred during the student-led mass uprising in July and August, Miller said: “What I want to say here is that we do, of course, support the work of the UN fact finding mission, their report was exceptionally clear and the next step is for the judicial authorities in Bangladesh hold those who are accused of criminal acts responsible. So there has to be accountability.

“I think when I look at the situation here and I look ahead to the next stage of a political transition, I think if an individual is accused of serious crime there should be evidence. If there is evidence then those should be brought to trial. If there is a trial it should not be with undue delay,” he added.

Responding to a question about the humanitarian corridor to send aid to war-torn Rakhine, Miller said the consent of the governments involved and the safety of individuals on both sides were important. “As a humanitarian partner for Bangladesh, we are quite happy to be pragmatic about how we can meet the needs of the refugees.

“If the refugees are here, we will meet their needs here, if they are in other side of the border, because the situation might one day improve, we will also look at how we can channel assistance to them there.

“Because it can be cross-border, we have done cross-border assistance in other parts of the world, and it can work. But it can only work when individuals are safe on both sides of the border and when governments agree.”

About the trial for those behind the atrocities committed during the July uprising, he said those responsible for criminal acts must be held accountable and its process must be transparent.

The Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh president AKM Moinuddin moderated the event.