The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) will deploy a joint pre-election assessment mission (PEAM) to Bangladesh from October 8-12 in order to conduct an independent and impartial assessment of the status of electoral preparations.
The delegation is scheduled to be in Dhaka on today (October 7), reports UNB.
The delegation will comprised six international experts, including Karl F. Inderfurth, former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs; Bonnie Glick, former Deputy USAID Administrator; Maria Chin Abdullah, former Member of the Malaysia House of Representatives; Jamil Jaffer, former Associate Counsel to the President; Manpreet Singh Anand, NDI Regional Director for Asia-Pacific; and Johanna Kao, IRI Senior Director, Asia-Pacific Division.
During its stay in Dhaka, the PEAM delegation will meet with a diverse range of election stakeholders including the Bangladesh Election Commission, government officials, political party leaders, and civil society organizations, among others, according to NDI and IRI.
Following the conclusion of its visit, the PEAM will provide its key findings and practical recommendations ahead of the elections expected in January 2024.
The activities of the Mission will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation (DoP), and are possible thanks to the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
