Latest news with #democraticreforms
Zawya
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Central Africa at a crossroads amid rising tensions and instability
With violence worsening in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes, the Security Council met on Monday to examine the threats confronting the wider region. 'Central Africa remains rich in potential, but the challenges are still significant,' said Abdou Abarry, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). Some progress While countries such as Chad and Gabon have made progress in terms of political development, newly elected authorities must capitalise on this momentum to implement key democratic reforms, said Mr Abarry. In Chad and Gabon, recent elections and reforms have promoted greater participation of women in the democratic process. Today, women represent 34 per cent of Chad's National Assembly, while Gabon's new electoral code mandates that women must account for at least 30 per cent of electoral lists provided to voters. Political challenges In recent months, online disinformation and hate speech have been on the rise in Cameroon, said Mr Abarry. UNOCA reported that 65 per cent of political content shared on social media between January and April this year was either false or previously manipulated. At the same time, Cameroon has seen a surge in intercommunal violence in the southern and central regions of the country. This trend underscores the importance of UNOCA's work in supporting development strategies aimed at preventing conflict related to electoral processes. Insecurity hotbeds Two major centres of insecurity persist, with violence escalating in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region. Around Lake Chad, groups affiliated with Boko Haram extremists and other armed insurgencies have demonstrated 'their resilience and their ability to adapt and respond to the coordinated operations of the defence and security forces' of the region, said Mr Abarry. Notably, on the night of 24 March, drones carrying explosives killed at least 19 Cameroonian soldiers in southern Nigeria. Meanwhile, growing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have led to large-scale displacement in eastern DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is further compounded by conflict in neighbouring Sudan. As budget cuts exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, there is growing concern that 'the inaction of the international community could lead to a worsening of the humanitarian situation,' the head of UNOCA told ambassadors. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
News.com.au
06-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Bangladesh's Yunus announces elections in April 2026
Bangladesh will hold elections in early April 2026 for the first time since a mass uprising overthrew the government last year, interim leader Muhammad Yunus said Friday. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. "I am announcing to the citizens of the country that the election will be held on any day in the first half of April 2026," said Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who leads the caretaker government. Political parties jostling for power have been repeatedly demanding Yunus fix an election timetable, while he has said time is needed as the country requires an overhaul of its democratic institutions after Hasina's tenure. "The government has been doing everything necessary to create an environment conducive to holding the election," he added in the television broadcast, while repeating his warning that reforms were needed. "It should be remembered that Bangladesh has plunged into deep crisis every time it has held a flawed election," he said, in a speech given on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday in the Muslim-majority nation. "A political party usurped power through such elections in the past, and became a barbaric fascist force." Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, and her government was accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections. The interim government had already repeatedly vowed to hold elections before June 2026, but said the more time it had to enact reforms, the better. - Reform of 'utmost importance' - The key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election frontrunner, has in recent weeks been pushing hard for polls to be held by December. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, in a speech to officers in May, also said that elections should be held by December, according to both Bangladeshi media and military sources. Days after that speech, the government warned that political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made. "Those who organise such elections are later viewed as culprits, and those who assume office through them become targets of public hatred," Yunus said on Friday. "One of the biggest responsibilities of this government is to ensure a transparent... and widely participatory election so that the country does not fall into a new phase of crisis," he added. "That is why institutional reform is of utmost importance." Up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 after Hasina's government launched a crackdown in a bid to cling to power, according to the United Nations. Hasina, 77, fled by helicopter to her old ally India and she has defied an extradition order to return to Dhaka. Her trial opened in absentia this month. Yunus said "reforms, trials, and elections" were the three "core mandates" of his government. "The sacrifices made by our students and people will be in vain if good governance cannot be established," he said. The Election Commission will "present a detailed roadmap" for the vote "at an appropriate time", the interim leader said without specifying a date. "We have been in dialogue with all stakeholders to organise the most free, fair, competitive, and credible election in the history of Bangladesh," Yunus added. sa/pjm/rsc
Arab News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Bangladesh consensus commission fails to find agreement
DHAKA: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said Monday that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a 'completely broken down' system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. 'It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues,' Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. 'We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances.' Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. 'We are going to begin a second round of talks,' he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would 'conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion.' The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from 'secularism' to 'pluralism.' Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. 'Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities,' he said. Yunus warned on Saturday that political power struggles risked jeopardizing gains that have been made, carrying out two days of talks with more than 20 political party leaders. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicizing courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections to dismantle democratic checks on its power. Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later — with the deadline of June 2026 — would give the government more time for reform. On Saturday, Yunus met with the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election front-runners, who are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. The military insisted at a press conference on Monday that there was no division with Yunus. It was the first address to the media since army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman gave an address to officers on May 21. He said that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands, according to Bangladeshi media and military sources. 'There is no rift between the government and the Bangladesh Army,' Lt. Col. Muhammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters. 'We share a cordial relationship and are working together for the sake of the country.'
CNA
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Bangladesh consensus commission fails to find agreement
DHAKA: Bangladesh's National Consensus Commission, tasked by the caretaker government to lead critical democratic reforms after a mass uprising last year, said on Monday (May 26) that political parties had failed to reach agreement. The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a student-led revolt in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who is leading the caretaker government as its chief adviser until elections are held, has previously said he inherited a "completely broken down" system of public administration. Yunus has said it required a comprehensive overhaul to prevent a future return to authoritarian rule. He set up six commissions to do that work, overseen by the Consensus Commission, which he heads. Ali Riaz, the commission's vice president, said that despite marathon efforts they had not reached a deal. "It wasn't possible to reach a consensus on several significant constitutional issues," Riaz told reporters in Dhaka, saying talks stretched over 45 sessions. "We have been discussing 166 recommendations with 38 political parties and alliances." Riaz, a political science professor at Illinois State University, said the teams would not give up. "We are going to begin a second round of talks," he said, adding that the country's statistics bureau would "conduct a household survey to gauge public opinion". The commission plans to include 46,000 families in the survey. Contentious issues include whether a prime minister can serve more than two terms, and the process for selecting the president. The procedure for appointing the chief of the interim government, and the duration of its tenure, has also divided parties, Riaz said. Parties also debated recommendations to change the terms of the constitution from "secularism" to "pluralism". Bangladesh is a Muslim-majority nation, with Hindus accounting for less than a tenth of the population. "Although most parties rejected the idea of pluralism, they recommended incorporating some form of protection for minorities," he said. "NO RIFT" Yunus warned on Saturday that political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made, carrying out two days of talks with more than 20 political party leaders. Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents. Her government was also accused of politicising courts and the civil service, as well as staging lopsided elections to dismantle democratic checks on its power. Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later - with the deadline of June 2026 - would give the government more time for reform. On Saturday, Yunus met with the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), seen as the election front-runners, who are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. The military insisted at a press conference on Monday that there was no division with Yunus. It was the first address to the media since army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman gave an address to officers on May 21. He said that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands, according to Bangladeshi media and military sources. "There is no rift between the government and the Bangladesh Army," Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Shafiqul Islam told reporters.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bangladesh govt calls for unity to stop 'return of authoritarianism'
Bangladesh's interim government, which took over after a mass uprising last year, warned on Saturday that unity was needed to "prevent the return of authoritarianism". The South Asian nation of around 170 million people has been in political turmoil since ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by student-led protests in August 2024, ending her iron-fisted rule of 15 years. However, after a week of escalation during which rival parties protested on the streets of the capital Dhaka, the government led by Muhammad Yunus said political power struggles risked jeopardising gains that have been made and pleaded for people to give it their full support. "Broader unity is essential to maintain national stability, organise free and fair elections, justice, and reform, and permanently prevent the return of authoritarianism in the country," it said in a statement. - 'Continuously obstructing' - Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner who returned from exile at the behest of protesters last year, says he has a duty to implement democratic reforms before elections that are due by June 2026 at the latest. However, the government warned that it had faced "unreasonable demands, deliberately provocative and jurisdictionally overreaching statements", which it said had been "continuously obstructing" its work. Sources in his office and a key political ally said on Thursday microfinance pioneer Yunus had threatened to quit. "If the government's autonomy, reform efforts, justice process, fair election plan, and normal operations are obstructed to the point of making its duties unmanageable, it will, with the people, take the necessary steps," Saturday's statement said, without giving further details. Wahiduddin Mahmud, who heads the finance and planning ministry, insisted that Yunus will not step down early. "We are going to carry out the responsibilities assigned to us," Mahmud told reporters on Saturday. "We can't simply abandon our duties." - 'Reconsider our support' - Yunus is due to hold talks late on Saturday with key political parties who have protested against the government this month. Yunus's team has confirmed he will meet leaders of the powerful Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as well as leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, the Muslim-majority nation's largest Islamist party. No agenda has been released but the BNP, seen as the front-runners in elections, are pushing hard for polls to be held by December. "If he is unable to announce a specific election date by December, we will reconsider our support for his administration," senior BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed said in an interview on a private TV channel broadcast on Friday. According to Bangladeshi media and military sources, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman also said this week that elections should be held by December, aligning with BNP demands. Bangladesh has a long history of military coups and the army retains a powerful role. The upcoming elections will be the first since Hasina fled to India, where she remains in self-imposed exile in defiance of an arrest warrant to face trial for crimes against humanity related to last year's police crackdown on protesters during which at least 1,400 people were killed. - 'Anti-democratic' - Yunus has said polls could be held as early as December but that holding them later -- with the deadline of June -- would give the government more time for reform. Nahid Islam, leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) made up of many students who spearheaded the uprising that ended Hasina's rule, said he feared an army-backed leadership wanted to replace the interim government. Islam, an ally of Yunus who previously served in his cabinet, told reporters on Saturday that he foresaw a situation similar to January 11, 2007, when a state of emergency was declared resulting in a military-backed government that lasted for two years. "There are indications that a 1/11-style military-backed government could re-emerge -- one that is anti-democratic and anti-people," Islam said. "While the military is an essential institution for state security, it should not interfere in political affairs," he said. Islam said he wants later elections to allow time for "fundamental reforms" to the constitution, but fears rival parties want swift elections to "assume power". sa-pjm/pbt
