December 31, 2008
No. 254
The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, today issued a statement on behalf of the Government of Canada congratulating the people of Bangladesh on their recent parliamentary elections.
"We offer our best wishes to the people of Bangladesh, who in this election exercised the fundamental democratic right to choose who will govern their country and represent them on the world stage," said Minister Cannon. "We believe that full citizen participation is key to ensuring a credible election. This election marks a crucial moment in Bangladesh's history and an opportunity to set the country on a path toward sustainable democracy.
"Canada is encouraged that international and domestic election observers and groups have issued a positive preliminary assessment of the organization and conduct of polling. Overall, the elections were free and fair," Minister Cannon added.
"Canada will continue to assist the Government of Bangladesh in its efforts to build democratic and effective governing institutions," said Minister Oda. "Governance, as well as health and education will remain key areas of focus for our development assistance in delivering tangible results in Bangladesh."
Canada has been a major development partner with Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 and supports the efforts of the country to move to solidify a strong democracy through, among other things, promoting the application of international best practices in its electoral process.
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