This is an election where the landslide victory of Ms. Sheik Hasina cannot be discussed. The one we nickname “ the lady to do » of Bangladesh, aged 76, is heading towards a fourth consecutive term as Prime Minister after winning the legislative elections on Sunday January 7 after an election boycotted by the opposition which denounced a ” sham election “. This is a scenario that we have seen repeated often lately in countries where a so-called “vote” is held. democratic ».
Bangladesh: overwhelming victory for the outgoing Prime Minister
Bangladesh is a country of 176 million inhabitants which separated from Pakistan in 1971. It has a tormented history and after being governed by Mujibur Rahman, a leading figure in the secessionist movement, it is led by soldiers in 1975. Parliamentary democracy was established in 1990. It has experienced interesting economic growth in the 21st century. The Awami League has dominated political life since 2009 with an authoritarian style of governance. Today, its representative Sheik Hasina leads the country with an iron fist. She was on course for a fifth term and the January 7 elections after her party won ¾ of the seats. This is what the deputy secretary general of the CENI declared this morning, thus formalizing the reappointment of the Prime Minister. The victory is strongly contested by the opposition which denounces the repression which has taken place since and which had decided not to present candidates. The latter has continued to denounce the serious violations of human rights perpetrated by those in power. The election took place in a climate of terror, with nearly 700,000 members of the police being present before the[1] ballot. Sheik Hasina intervened in the media, denouncing the bad faith of opponents and calling on the people who are the only ones authorized to contest her victory. The results of the election have not yet received the approval of the international community, but as we have seen each time, the latter can only make observations on the conduct of the elections. “ Repeated twice » !
patrice RABE