Publication | Report/Paper

Electoral Participation of Citizens with Disabilities in Bangladesh

Political Access for People with Disabilities
Briefing Paper Series

Electoral Participation of Citizens with Disabilities
in Bangladesh: May - October 2001
Volume II, Paper 2
June 2001

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) has begun an effort in Bangladesh to promote greater participation by citizens with disabilities in national elections to be held in the Fall of 2001.

The core of this effort will be a program to recruit, train, and deploy approximately 300 citizens with disabilities to serve as domestic election observers. Approximately 100 citizens with disabilities will be deployed in Dhaka, and approximately fifty (50) each in the districts of Bogra, Kushtia, Magura, and Natore.

To implement this program, IFES will provide a subgrant to Action on Disability and Development (ADD), a Dhaka-based NGO, in the approximate amount of US$10,800. This program is funded under a grant to IFES from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Since May 2001, IFES and ADD have worked closely to ensure that disability issues are addressed by a broader array of organizations involved in the elections. As the direct result of a nine-day effort in May by IFES Disability Consultant Jerome Mindes and ADD Programme Manager Mosharraf Hossain, important advances were made to ensure that disability issues are visibly and comprehensively addressed throughout the election process.

For example:

Views of Voters with Disabilities Heard: Over a four-day period, IFES and ADD convened three workshops for voters and potential observers with disabilities. Workshops in the cities of Kushtia (May 19) and Natore (May 20) were each attended by approximately 75 individuals with disabilities. A workshop in a Dhaka slum (May 22) was attended by approximately 25 individuals with disabilities. During each workshop, the attendees were asked to share their experiences as voters in past elections, and to share their thoughts about why and how citizens with disabilities could serve as election observers.

The Kushtia and Natore workshops were covered by local media. In addition, the Kushtia workshop was attended by a representative of the Fair Election Monitoring Alliance, and the Natore workshop was attended by the local Election Commissioner, Mr. Sayeed Musa.

These sessions provided IFES and ADD with a clear set of issues and concerns.

Voters with visual impairments expressed concern, even anger, that they had little confidence that their intent as voters was honored in past elections. They were surprised to learn that the Bangladesh Election Law provides voters with disabilities who require assistance the right to choose their own assistance. Many voters noted that assistance was often "offered" by presiding officers and even party workers.

Voters with physical disabilities noted that long and disorganized voting queues can pose a challenge and even a danger. Some complained that they have been pushed and knocked over the unruly crowds. Others offered that they have even stayed home in past elections, knowing that they lacked the physical strength to stand in long lines.

Voters with hearing impairments spoke of their frustration at not being able to communicate with poll workers, even to the point of being unable to communicate their name. They also noted that the deaf - the majority of whom are illiterate - lack access to information about the candidates and the voting process.

Voters with all types of disabilities cited examples of discriminatory attitudes by poll workers and voters alike. At times, discrimination even led to a voter being denied his or her right to vote.

Regarding electoral observation by citizens with disabilities, the workshop attendees suggested numerous strategies for use on election day. Deaf observers could come prepared with notes to give to the presiding officer. Blind observers would need to be accompanied by an assistant, who would also need to be trained as an observer. Blind and physically disabled participants mentioned a concern with their security on election day, citing long and often unruly queues, and the potential for violence.

It was also mentioned that observation manuals and forms need to be in formats accessible to voters with different types of disabilities.

All of these suggestions are being taken into account by ADD, in planning and executing its program to recruit, train, and deploy election observers. For example, ADD will develop cassette tapes in Bengali of the observation manual, particularly focusing on the code of conduct for observers. ADD has mentioned making this cassette available to other election monitoring organizations for their training needs. In addition, ADD will explore the possibility of developing a "pictorial" election observation form, for use by observers with limited literacy.

Executive Order For Priority in the Queue: Just one day following a meeting with IFES and ADD representatives, Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Sayed on May 22 announced his intent to issue an executive order providing priority status in the voting queue to voters with physical disabilities, voters who are blind, elderly voters, and pregnant voters. The Executive Order will be issued in July, shortly after the appointment of a caretaker government. Two major Dhaka-based television news programs, and some Bengali-language newspapers, carried reports about this landmark announcement.

This is the first time these categories of citizens will be allowed to proceed to the front of the queue. This is essential, for in Bangladesh it is common for each voting booth to accommodate between 2,000 and 2,500 voters, and for voters to stand in queues for over four or five hours.

During their meeting with Commissioner Sayed, Mr. Mindes and Mr. Hossain noted the views of disabled citizens expressed at the workshops in Kusthia, Natore, and Dhaka. It was clear that this discussion was well received, as it was also clear it was the first time disability issues had been addressed by the Commissioner.

Voter Education: Through a series of meetings, IFES and ADD secured a commitment from the Election Commission that it would (a) develop a television public service announcement to publicize the pending Executive Order that voters with disabilities, voters who are blind, and voters who are elderly or pregnant have priority status to move to the front of the voting queue, and (b) develop a poster for each polling station on the rights of voters with disabilities. ADD/Bangladesh will serve as a resource to the Election Commission in the development of these materials.

Election Commission official Jesmin Tuli also indicated that these materials would be developed using funds already provided by the United Nations Development Programme. This decision was endorsed by UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Zahurul Alam, who in a separate meeting with IFES and ADD advanced the idea that UNDP funds could be used by the Election Commission for just this type of public education effort. Mr. Aaum noted that disability issues had not previously been considered as part of the public education campaign, and supported the idea that they be so included..

Poll Worker Training: Through meetings with Deputy Election Commission Jesmin Tuli, it was agreed that ADD/Bangladesh will assist the Commission to develop poll worker training materials that address two key disability concerns. First, it is critical that poll workers are aware of the Executive Order on priority for certain voters to move to the front of the queue. Second, it is critical that poll workers are aware that blind and other disabled voters requiring assistance have the right to choose their own assistant.

Party Agency Training: Under a grant from USAID, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) is responsible for developing training materials for party agents who will be working at polling stations. At the suggestion of Jan Paul Emmert of USAID, Mr. Mindes and Mr. Hossain met with NDI Resident Representatives James Oliver, and Senior Programme Officers Richard Klein and Dominic Cardy (May 25). As a result, NDI agreed to include in the party agent manual information on the voting rights of people with disabilities and the executive order on priority to move to the front of the queue. ADD/Bangladesh will work with NDI on specific language for the training documents.

Observation Manuals and Forms: With the support of The Asia Foundation office in Dhaka, Action on Disability and Development has become a full and equal participant in the meetings of the alliance of domestic civil society organizations working to organize a comprehensive domestic election observation effort. In fact, ADD serves on two key subcommittees of the monitoring alliance: the subgroup that will draft the observation manual and forms to be used by all members of the alliance, and the subgroup that will deal with outreach to the media.

As a member of the subgroup developing the observation manual and form, ADD has already recommended specific questions to add to the observation form to be used by all domestic election observers. These questions deal with (a) the presence of steps or stairs which impede a citizens ability to vote; (b) whether voters with disabilities, and elderly and pregnant voters are allowed to move to the front of the queue, and (c) whether voters with disabilities who require assistance have the right to choose their own assistant.

Conclusion

IFES and ADD have worked to identify logical and practical "next steps" which the Electoral Commission and other actors can implement to promote greater participation of citizens with disabilities in the election process. It was evident that no "perfect" solutions would be identified and implemented between May 2001 and likely elections in the Fall. However, it was clear that a positive and productive partnership could be developed between the disability community and the various governmental and civil society organizations involved in the elections. Building such a partnership is the goal of the IFES intervention, and will result in a sustained effort which over time will lead to more universal electoral access for citizens with disabilities in Bangladesh.

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For additional information see the People with Disabilities page.

In addition to the individuals and organizations mentioned in the above interim report, IFES and ADD representatives also met with the following:

The Honorable Enders Johnson, Swedish Ambassador to Bangladesh
Anders Granlund, Counsellor, Embassy of Sweden
Valeria Scott Laitinen, The Asia Foundation
Mr. A.H. Monjurul Kabir, Journalist, The Daily Star
Mahfuz Moony, Journalist, Natore
Chris Murgatroyd, UK Department for International Development
Kerry Ann Wills, Development Officer, Bangladesh Protibandhi Kallyan Somity
(Member, Disabled Peoples' Internaional)
Professor Nazmul Ahsan Kaolimullah, National Election Observation Council
Thomas Hunstad, Royal Norwegian Embassy
Jan Paul Emmert, US Agency for International Development
Jessica Hunter, US Agency for International Development