http://www.newagebd.com/2008/may/09/front.html#15
New Age, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Friday, May 9, 2008
Investors will ignore Bangladesh until democracy comes: Frowein
European Union polls observation mission due in June
Staff Correspondent
Foreign investors are still hesitating to make long-term investments
because of the situation prevailing in Bangladesh, said the European
Union on Thursday, insisting that elections by December were an
imperative for sustainable democracy.
Stefan Frowein, the head of the delegation of the European
Commission in Bangladesh, made this comment at a joint press
conference at a city hotel on the eve of the European Day, which is
today.
Individual should not be decisive in the process and importance
should be given to the interest of the people and the interest of the
country, he said.
Pointing at the sluggish foreign direct investment in the country,
he said that no big investment has been recorded in Bangladesh
recently although a lot of money was available throughout the world.
=91They [foreign investors] look for a situation that is stable and
ensures the security of their money,=92 said Frowein, adding that the
situation that is now prevailing in Bangladesh =91does not say that
everything is fine, everything is beautiful=92.
=91Nobody likes a state of emergency, nor do foreign investors.=92
The diplomat maintained that Bangladesh has been going through a
phase that will lead to more democracy and a more stable situation.
Bangladesh desperately needs foreign investment, said Frowein,
predicting that FDI would be made in a big way when the situation
improves politically and economically and investors feel that their
money is secure.
He told reporters that an advance team of the EU election
observation mission, comprising legal, security and logistic experts,
would come to Dhaka in June for talks with the people concerned and
also for assessing the pre-election situation.
The EC in Brussels, according to the mission=92s recommendations,
will decide to send election observation teams in three forms =97 core,
long-term and short-term teams.
Welcoming the statements of the chief adviser and the Election
Commission on free and fair elections, he noted that impressive
progress has been made in preparing a new and more accurate voters=92
list.
The EU called upon the political parties to live up to their
national responsibility and participate constructively in dialogues
with the government, and urged the Election Commission to bring about
effective party reforms to ensure free and fair elections and
sustainable democracy.
Frowein said the EU encourages political dialogues and the lifting
of the emergency as soon as the situation is favourable.
The EU also called for upholding the rule of law and ensuring that
due process of law is followed in trials, in accordance with the
international human rights obligations of Bangladesh.
Responding to a query on reform of political parties, German
Ambassador Frank Meyke stressed the importance of reforms in political
parties to make democracy truly sustainable in the future.
=91The political parties should spell out their policies and visions
on political, economic and social issues before the polls,=92 said
French Ambassador Charley Causeret.
Dutch Ambassador Bea Ten Tusscher said that they are concerned
about the human rights situation, particularly in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts, and insisted that the government should expedite the
establishment of the National Human Rights Commission.
The press conference was also attended by Italian Ambassador Itala
Occhi, Danish Ambassador Einar Hebogaard Jensen, Swedish Ambassador
Britt Falkman Hagstrom, Simon Lever of the British High Commission and
the honorary consuls of EU countries.
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