everyone has the right. everyone has the right to say. this is the news line from berlin dozens of opposition candidates all out to the general election in bangladesh after allegations of vote rigging for days to say they're investigating complaints nationwide violence has also barred the vote despite a heavy security presence results are expected to show another win for prime minister shake the scene also coming up voting is underway in the democratic republic of

congo with reports of long lines and the latest as the country chooses a new president for the first time in nearly two decades. but to sleep at night. and the wrapping for democracy in thailand we look back on one of our favorite stories of the past you deny that. i'm called aspen thanks for joining us. voters our votes are being counted in bangladesh as parliamentary election authorities say they're investigating allegations of vote rigging from around the country and as a result several opposition candidates say they've pulled out of the contest the election was also marred by deadly violence despite a heavy security presence the first projections are coming in and it looks as if prime minister sheikh hasina over turned to power in

a landslide win. it's an election that's been tainted by violence and vote rigging allegations turnout was low and security was high authorities limited internet access claiming rumors could spread unrest rights groups have spoken of a climate of fear at polling stations opinions were divided. among the to follow and i really like the whole process i felt very safe because of the heavy security i believe there is a free and fair election taking place here. all of it. to vote for he told me to send a text message to get my serial number. i did it four times but i didn't get a response. but now i'm confused not. came with a lot of hope but now i'm very disappointed. for decades the ruling awami league

and the nationalist b.n.p. party have jostled for power but with opposition leader in prison prime minister sheikh hasina was the clear favorite to win during her time in power the prime minister has been credited with boosting the economy and welcoming refugees but critics say she's become increasingly authoritarian and accuse her of detaining opposition candidates and supporters. opposition coalition leader come out has seen voiced his anger. people are being killed people are being arrested candidates have been arrested and one going to see the president did not know we could not even be able to do. even a bag could not think that room mongers over forty seven knew it i would have been here in person. it's been nearly fifty years since bangladesh gained independence

but the country still isn't free from political turmoil the election commission says it's investigating nationwide allegations of vote rigging initial projections are for a landslide election win for prime minister but more than forty opposition candidates say they won't accept the election results joining us now our correspondent michelle chase while she is standing by for us at the election media center in the capital dhaka amisha there were fears ahead of time that this election would not be free and fair have those fears now become reality well it really depends on who you ask the opposition as well as the opposition leader we just heard are of course alleging that these elections were not free and fair we also have heard that the several candidates were pulling out which essentially means rejecting the results of the election however right here where the ruling of held a press briefing we are. about to react to these allegations of water going and i

want to be doing party says that well it's very convenient to reject a result which is not good for you and accept one which is good for you that being said the wrong need has also said that the election commission will investigate any such allegations of malpractise and that they will look into eighty's and you can't avoid triggering that comes up in front of them so right now no official comments he had but as i said depends on who you ask. meanwhile reportedly at least seventeen people have been killed in election violence many more were injured what's behind all this unrest well talk about remained largely peaceful there was a very heavy security deployment and we also saw a lack of opposition polling agents all across the city this could be a reason why there were no clashes however in other parts of the country where the opposition made that's presence felt the clashes did break out this is where the

violence erupted from most of this was attacks from opposition parties on the ruling party or attacks from dueling party on the opposition party it is also worth noting that such a while since has marred the entire campaign trail however again the ruling party says that this was the most peaceful election that has happened in this country so far the opposition of course has very contradictory statements briefly if you can a third consecutive term now for the prime minister what will that mean for bangladesh's future. but a touch of storm which it will be historic this would be hope for prime minister. what it means is that it could potentially see a continuance of this woman economic growth that attacks seen in the last ten years that has spoken in create fear of sheikh hasina however the criticism of this government is that it has been to see this crackdown on press freedom as well as free speech and also the fact that if these elections are found to be marred this

would also severely you do all the credibility off those governments the questions we continue to be it's about that of course many young boy doesn't bond with the issue of the school the total walked out of them were those awful this time what does they see they do not get about the body that comes to bother they want good education good growth good employment went forward ok misha j solid reporting from dhaka thank you very much. now just on the other stories making news around the world north korean leader kim jong il has sent a letter to south korean president moon asking for more peace talks between the two in twenty nineteen kim said the leaders of the two koreas who met three times this year had taken bold measures to overcome years of hostility at least twenty two people have been killed and many more are missing after a trench will rain triggered landslides and flash flooding in the eastern philippines more than twenty two thousand people fled their homes ahead of the storm rescue operations are underway but many of the affected areas are still

inaccessible to flooding so. tens of thousands of serbians have marched through the capital belgrade again to protest against attacks on opposition politicians and journalists protesters who have banners accusing president alexander of cycling democratic liberties cracking down on the tickle ponens and controlling the media. voters in the democratic republic of congo are casting ballots for a new president for the first time in nearly two decades the winner will take over from strongman joseph kabila who's been in power for eighteen years there's been long long lines in reports of glitches of polling stations but for the most part voters are simply happy to finally have their say. they waited for two years to cast their vote what difference will a few more hours in the pouring rain make. after eighteen years of the same man in charge voters in kinshasa waited eagerly for their chance to select

a new president they have a choice between three main candidates two from the opposition and a former interior minister favored by outgoing president joseph kabila. but if you give me a city going to i feel liberated and happy we completed my civic duty to deal with and have just voted in a historic election for nor would be to refuse to it's. historic indeed the democratic republic of congo has never experienced a peaceful transition of power since gaining independence from belgium in one nine hundred sixty many are hoping that today will be the day including presidential contender martin for you will. clear it's done it's the end for joseph kabila. but there are problems with the vote a lot of them. there are reports that many polling stations never even opened

causing frustration among voters and the opposition is concerned that voting machines have been manipulated to help could be less preferred successor when it was. two cities have been barred from voting at all residents in the opposition strongholds of dany and put tempo will have to wait till march to cost their vote long after the congress new leader will be sworn in officials cited in a bowl of outbreak as the reason. and benny frustrated residents stage their own mock ballot and protest. but it will likely be the next election that their voice is really how it was. as the year comes to an end we're looking back on some of our favorite stories of twenty eighteen our correspondents brought us a range of reports featuring personal struggles political crises and violent

conflicts from around the world but there were some stories that made us think a little bit differently like this report on rapping for democracy under thailand's military dictatorship. on the cell phones. in the streets in the car it's. the beats of a rap song that reverberated throughout the entire left. me somebody like. me or in english what my country has criticized this thailand's military government and the lack of freedom it made me think i know but to me the lord. told me. that you were in a country under a military dictatorship that has struck a chord especially among young thais the song got more than twenty million clicks

on you tube in just a week and. it's sort of a voice for teenagers or young adults who can think that contact. we can only talk amongst ourselves but we have no liberty or rights to speak out freely if you do speak your mind it will only be bad for yourself. and you can change anything anyway. but it was not daring to speak out something the group rappers against dictatorship wanted to change that's why they wrote me. we think that anyone can use the phrase what my country is going to the title of the song to speak out about whatever's on their mind what they think is the matter with our country and we hope that people will stop being more critical when it comes to politics and. speaking out against the powerful has never been without risk in thailand but since

the latest military coup four years ago it's become even more dangerous. also for rappers against dictatorship the police had first declared they were investigating the group for a possible by. lation of the so called computer crime act could get them five years in prison but what the announcement got the song was five million clicks in two days the authorities have since backed down. the lyrics don't contain anything that insults anyone personally that's why i never thought the song would draw attention from the authorities but when the police started talking about it that's really when it became so popular all of a sudden. on the outside thailand looks like a peaceful country. but there are deep divisions. time and again the country has been on the brink of civil war. for now the military government is

keeping a lid on things but below the surface it's starting to heat up again. there haven't been elections in more than four years they're scheduled for february but what will they be worth if society doesn't change. people should develop a critical mindset in their everyday lives. i think if that were the case there would actually be less conflict within society conflict happens when people don't accept that others have a different opinion. if we could get reach a compromise instead of fighting with those who don't share our opinion. that would be an important step towards a better future. you're

watching the news from berlin love more news and more of our favorite stories of the top of the hour and a reminder of all the latest headlines and information you can find it on our web site that's d.w. dot com thanks for watching. nico is in germany to learn german. how much can the. why not learn with him online on the mobile and free stuff from c w e learning course the coast week.