Press Release: Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner on the parliamentary elections in Bangladesh

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, congratulated the people of Bangladesh for its peaceful participation in the parliamentary elections and called for a new approach from Bangladeshi political parties to the challenges of governance in the country: 'I learned with satisfaction that the elections for the ninth Jatiya Sangshad of Bangladesh were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner and that Bangladeshi people went to the polls in significant numbers. With these elections, the Bangladeshi people have drawn to a close the period of interim government and opened the way to a legitimately elected government. With victory comes the responsibility of forming the next government. However, representatives of all parties having gained seats in parliament must share the task of working together to address the challenges that Bangladesh faces, of ensuring that the new parliament functions in a democratic, fair and effective manner that allows enough political space for the opposition to exercise its rights, and of sustaining the key reforms and institutional gains started by the Caretaker Government. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of both the Bangladeshi authorities in organising and conducting these elections and the staff of the EU Election Observation Mission in ensuring a thorough scrutiny of the polls.'