The election to the second Constituent Assembly (CA) was successfully conducted on 19 November. The months leading up to the election had been marked by fears in some quarters that it would not take place,and the weeks leading up to polling day featured a violent and obstructive election boycott by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist). However, unity among participating parties behind the election process,firm but restrained action by the security forces and a strong voter turnout on Election Day confounded the worst fears. The election was probably the most peaceful of Nepal’s modern democratic history. The campaign was largely dominated by local and development related issues. According to the preliminary assessments of international and national election observation actors, the technical preparations and operations for the election (including the use of a new electoral roll and last minute distribution of voter ID cards) passed off relatively smoothly.The initial first-past-the-post (FPTP) constituency results indicated a major shift in the political landscape. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) was trailing in third place far behind the Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML). This came as a major shock to the UCPN-M, with Party Chairperson, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alleging a nationwide electoral fraud,
withdrawing his party agents from counting centres and threatening to boycott the second CA. Other Madheshi and identity-based parties, which were also trailing in the results, soon followed suit. After the boycott announcements, uncertainty persisted for several days about what next actions the objecting parties might take. However, no significant protests by UCPN-M, Madhesh or identity-based parties were reported. No specific evidence of major electoral fraud has yet emerged and interlocutors indicate that these parties internally accept that the election was essentially credible. These parties are now attempting to negotiate their position in the changed political equation, although they have not dropped their allegations of fraud.
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Publisher:
UNRCHCO
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(2013
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Type / Script:
Progress Report
in English
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Keywords:
ELECTION, SECURITY FORCES, DEMOCRATIC HISTORY, ELECTORAL FRAUD, BOYCOTT, FEDERAL PUBLIC, CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENT, VIOLENCE, EMERGING ISSUES, ELECTION CAMPAIGNS, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, ELECTION LAW, ELECTION VERIFICATION, POLITICAL PLATFORMS
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Thematic Group:
UNRCHCO (UNRCO)
:
UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Office (UN Resident Coordinator Office)
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Thesaurus:
01.01.00
- Political Conditions, Institutions, Movements
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Reference Link:
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