VZCZCXRO0876
PP RUEHCI
DE RUEHKA #0814/01 2140455
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 010455Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY DHAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7161
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 8550
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2279
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 9789
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0759
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON PRIORITY 2651
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 1395

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL BG
SUBJECT: SYLHET ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Geeta Pasi; reason 1.4 (b)&(d) 
 
SUMMARY 
======= 
¶1. (SBU) Campaigning for the August 4 city corporation 
elections in Sylhet, the fifth largest city in Bangladesh, is 
well underway.  Nearly 1.4 million Bangladeshis will go to 
the polls nationwide to elect local officials in the first 
elections under the Caretaker Government.  Candidates and 
their supporters have adapted to the new more restrictive 
campaign rules.  Voter awareness and interest are high. 
Despite a high profile, nationwide anti-corruption campaign, 
NGOs and election officials reported use of money to &buy 
votes,8 and expressed concerns about the quality of 
candidates. 
 
THE MOOD IN SYLHET 
================== 
¶2. (SBU) During a July 26-28 pre-election assessment trip to 
Sylhet, a city of 500,000, we found the streets buzzing with 
political activity.  Black and white campaign posters were 
hanging at main intersections. Supporters crowded homes and 
campaign offices of major candidates, while loudspeakers 
blared news of the upcoming polls.  The Election Commission 
(EC) banned candidates from pasting posters on the walls of 
buildings and from holding unscheduled rallies.  Candidates 
largely adhered to the new rules established by the EC.  EC 
officials predicted a high voter turnout. 
 
MONEY FOR VOTES 
=============== 
¶3. (C) In a meeting between candidates and local officials on 
July 26, several individuals asked the government to clamp 
down on candidates who were buying votes.  Officials promised 
action but in turn asked those making the allegations to help 
by refusing bribes.  A local election official noted, &the 
use of money is a big problem in Sylhet as the poor voters 
are used to getting money even from the candidates they 
support.8 Because of the large number of Sylhetis working 
abroad (who send home remittances), buying votes is a regular 
feature of Sylheti politics.  In a speech to the American 
Chamber of Commerce in Dhaka, Chief Election Commissioner 
(CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda acknowledged the difficulty of 
eradicating corruption in politics.  The local president of 
the Awami League (AL) reported a rickshaw driver had been 
offered 4000 taka ($59) for his vote and that of his wife. 
Others said the price of a vote in the slums ranged from 200 
taka ($3) to 500 taka ($7.50).  In some instances, those 
selling their votes provided their voter registration cards 
as collateral to the buyer. 
 
THE SAME OLD FACES AGAIN 
======================== 
¶4. (SBU) In a field of fifteen mayoral candidates, the AL- 
backed candidate, Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, leads the 
pack.  Several others have either served as mayor before or 
run previously. Although Kamran is in prison facing 
corruption charges, he remains the favorite. 
 
CORRUPTION STILL A FACTOR 
========================= 
¶5. (C) Civil society members, government officials and 
politicians expressed frustration over the quality of the 
candidates for the city polls. AL leader Shafiqul Haque 
lamented that his party president, Sheikh Hasina, selected 
Kamran as AL,s &favorite8 in spite of the Party 
leadership,s decision to nominate an &honest8 candidate. 
In his opinion, the failure to attract honest and dedicated 
persons to contest elections has undermined the Caretaker 
Government,s goal of ensuring corruption-free politics. 
Echoing the same sentiment, Bangladesh,s Chief Election 
Commissioner said the EC had created an atmosphere for fair 
polls but added, &we cannot force anyone to contest.8  A 
High Court panel recently ordered the EC to take action 
against candidates who filed false financial statements. 
However, the EC has limited capacity to review the 
backgrounds of candidates and the law allows for those 
charged but not convicted to run in municipal elections. 
 
 
PARTIES: CONFUSION IN THE RANKS? 
================================ 
¶6. (SBU) While AL members actively support their candidates, 
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) members are caught between 
the Dhaka leadership who have asked them to boycott the polls 
and local leaders who want their support.  A local BNP 
official claimed that the BNP Secretary General asked him to 
 
DHAKA 00000814  002 OF 002 
 
 
contest the election despite the party,s call for a boycott. 
However, the local Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) President, a BNP 
ally, maintained that his party would boycott elections and 
ask supporters to do the same. 
 
PEACE EXPECTED AMIDST THE CHAOS 
=============================== 
¶7. (SBU) Most candidates and members of civil society predict 
peaceful and orderly elections. Authorities will set up 720 
voting booths in 120 polling stations for 256,480 eligible 
voters.  Election officials are training 2,500 polling 
officials and 4,000 party members on rules and procedures. 
The city plans a significant security presence on election 
day and key officials dismiss any possibility of trouble. 
 
COMMENT 
======= 
¶8. (SBU) Our visit to Sylhet confirmed that Sylhetis*like 
Bangladeshis around the country*are eager to vote on August 
4th.  There are concerns, however, about the lack of new 
faces among the candidates and the continuing influence of 
money in politics. 
Pasi