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Electoral
Expert Monitoring Team in Nepal
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Nepalese
elections threatened if violence resurges
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Kathmandu,
19 March 2008 (UN Electoral Expert Monitoring Team in Nepal)
Noting
improvements in security, scheduling and inclusiveness as Nepal heads toward
historic elections next month, a United Nations monitoring team warned
today that resurgent violence could shatter aspirations for a free and
fair poll, while the UN mission in the South Asian country expressed deep
concern over a candidate's killing.
"It
will be imperative that the Government of Nepal, security forces, political
parties, electoral officials, and stakeholders make all efforts to avoid
a resurgence of violence," the United Nations Electoral Expert Monitoring
Team (EEMT) said in a statement issued after its fourth visit to assess
the process leading to 10 April elections for the Constituent Assembly.
"Every
effort should be made to guarantee that the current positive conditions
prevail not only before and on Election Day, but also during the counting
and announcement of results," the five-member team, appointed by Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon and led by Rafael Lopez-Pintor, added.
The
UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which helps monitor human rights in the country,
said that the killing of Kamal Adhikari, a candidate for the Rastriya Jana
Morcha party, took place yesterday evening in the mid-west region.
"Violence
and threats against candidates represents a serious obstacle to the creation
of a free and fair atmosphere for the election, and all efforts must be
made to bring those responsible to justice," the mission said in a press
release.
UNMIN
said its officers in the region, together with staff of the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), would continue to work in support
of an atmosphere conducive for a credible poll.
Once
elected, Assembly members are supposed to draft a new constitution for
Nepal, where an estimated 13,000 people were killed during the decade-long
civil war that ended when the Government and the Maoists signed a peace
accord in 2006.
The
polls were supposed to be held last year, but had to be delayed several
times because of political disputes.
In
its statement today, however, the EEMT concluded that the Election Commission
was working "under a tight electoral calendar," even though it is accommodating
new nominations in order to widen the participation of candidates.
It
said that the signing of agreements between the Government, the United
Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and the Federal Republican National Front
(FRNF) were fundamental for allowing the reduction of violence in the Terai
region.
Compared
with the previous visits of the EEMT, the security situation has improved,
it said, but stressed that political parties must strictly follow the code
of conduct and election norms to maintain the improvement.
"Political
parties should refrain from interfering in the administration of the election,
especially with regard to the organization of the polls and the provision
of security, which are exclusively entrusted to the Election Commission
and the security forces respectively," it said.
The
EEMT, whose visit took place between 3 and 17 March, is not part of UNMIN
and operates separately from the mission's Electoral Assistance Office,
which provides technical assistance to the Election Commission.
| Source:
UN Electoral Expert Monitoring Team in Nepal, March 2008 |
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