Daily Star

Front Page
Volume 3 Number 744 Thu. October 04, 2001
Respect people's verdict, say Japanese polls observers

Staff Correspondent

Japanese election observers have said the country's parliamentary election was conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner and expressed the hope that the people's verdict would be respected.

"As a result of our observation, we are convinced that this election, as a whole, was conducted in a free, fair, peaceful and orderly manner," said Shin Sakurai, head of the Japanese election observer group at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.

Sakurai, who is also the vice-president of Japan-Bangladesh Parliamentarians' Association Election Observer Group (JBPAEOG) and a member of the House of Councillors, said, "We wish that people's will reflected in this election should be fully respected, and new government should be swiftly organised to consolidate the democracy in accordance with the wishes of the people."

He said, "our attention was particularly drawn to many women and young people who participated in this election in an active and orderly manner.

Although our observation was limited, we were convinced that voting and counting were conducted in an orderly manner."

Shin Sakurai is the head of the JBPAEOG which observed the elections in 1991 and 1996. He visited the polling centres in 10 constituencies in Dhaka, Gazipur, Narsingdi and Narayanganj and observed minutely the vote casting and counting process.

"I was also touched by the sincerity and integrity of the people of Bangladesh through our observation," Sakurai added.

Replying to a question, he said, "The relationship between Japan and Bangladesh is friendly and it will be further strengthened in future."

The press conference, organised at a city hotel, was among others, attended, by Prof. Minoru O'uchi of Shumei University, Prof. Hirofumi Ando of Nihon University and Dr. Mayumi Nouchi, a research fellow of the Institute of Developing Economy.