SUGGESTS 29 RECOMMENDATION FOR CONSIDERATION

KATHMANDU, March 21: The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for Nepal’s House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections Tuesday submitted its final report containing 29 proposals for reform to improve the electoral process.

The EU EOM, organizing a press conference in Kathmandu, stated that although the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) performed its duties impartially, enjoying public confidence, its work lacked transparency.

“There was, for example, no mechanism for regular consultations with election stakeholders, and the EC failed to publish critical information on polling center turnout and invalid votes. There were also procedural weaknesses, particularly in relation to the reconciliation of ballots. Voter education was also inadequate, in some areas non-existent. The EC had extensive powers to punish violations of the Election Code of Conduct, including by fines and disqualification, yet it dealt with complaints in a largely informal manner, requesting that those in violation stop the behavior complained of. This lack of enforcement undermined the integrity of the Code. Allegations that both cash and in-kind gifts were given to voters circulated widely, but not a single prosecution for vote-buying was initiated,” the report stated.

According to the EU EOM, overall, the November 26 and December 7 elections represented a key milestone in the implementation of the 2015 Constitution, with the legal framework providing a good basis for the conduct of elections. However, a great deal of the body of electoral law was enacted less than three months before the elections, which meant that there was insufficient time for dissemination or appraisal.

The report further says: Political freedoms – including the right to vote and to stand for election, and freedoms of association, assembly and expression – are well-respected in law and, despite a series of violent attacks against candidates, these political freedoms prevailed during the campaign.

“The quota system, in an effort to promote gender and social inclusion, also includes groups that are already well-represented. This is arguably in contravention of international standards on equality, as affirmative action measures are foreseen only as a means to promote equality.”

“Positively, a voter registration drive resulted in 1.37 million new registrants, the candidate nomination process was well-conducted, and the media environment during the campaign period was generally free, although a few cases of limitations on freedom of expression and the freedom of the press were observed.”

The report has made 29 recommendations for consideration, but suggests priority attention is given to the following 10 recommendations:

Review the impact of the quota system on the ethnic composition of the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies and ensure that measures of affirmative action apply only to groups that are the subject of negative discrimination.

Enhance the transparency of the ECN by regular consultations with stakeholders, and the timely publication of all information of public interest.

Launch extensive voter education sufficiently in advance of elections, in all languages used in Nepal.

Review first-past-the-post constituency boundaries to ensure more equal suffrage.

Relax voter registration transfer requirements so people living in rented accommodation and informal settlements can transfer their voter registration.

Enforce the law in order to stop vote-buying.

Produce a less restrictive Code of Conduct, including provisions for the allocation of free airtime to political parties/candidates in the public media.

Introduce administrative procedures to accord priority to election-related cases filed with the Supreme Court.

Enhance the transparency of the results process by the swift publication of polling centre turnout data and constituency counting tables, as well as by distribution of copies of the constituency counting tables to party and candidate agents.

Introduce meaningful reconciliation procedures in polling and counting directives. 

The EU EOM was present in Nepal between 25 October 2017 and 3 January 2018, following invitations from the Government of Nepal and the ECN. In total, the mission deployed over 100 observers from all 28 EU member states, as well as Norway and Switzerland. It assessed the extent to which the electoral process complied with international and regional commitments for elections, as well as with the laws of Nepal.

Narayan Prasad Ghimire 
KATHMANDU, Dec 13

Who will be the new Prime Minister- Prachanda or KP Oli? Will the unification of CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN-UML eventually take place? Shouldn’t Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba resign from party president on moral grounds for the debacle that the party under his leadership saw in the election? Is it sure that the coming government imposes authoritarianism in Nepal? Such questions are rife during tea talks and chit chat in news room which carry with them apprehensions, aspirations and concerns. 

The successful conduct of the elections to the federal and provincial parliaments have resulted in a severe sting to the ruling Nepali Congress. To sheer stupefaction of everyone- parties, political scientists and analysts, researchers, media- the leftist alliance has secured a comfortable two-third majority (with 116 of the 165 FPTP seats in the House of Representatives). The strategic electoral alliance between the CPN-UML and Maoist Center itself is left in awe.

The proponent and key players’ concept of leftist alliance was therefore an apt decision, while it draws equal sympathy to the NC leadership for its abject failure (and ignorance as well) to get any clue of such alliance though the Maoist Center a partner in the present coalition that oversaw the elections.

Simply speaking, alliance is the amalgam of votes from two communist parties that ensured landslide victory to the left. Going deeper, what made alliance possible reveals the reality which turned bitter to country’s oldest and largest democratic party- Nepali Congress.

NC LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO SPEAK CLEAR
A prominent youth leader Gagan Thapa, following his victory, told media that Nepali Congress needed a special convention in view of the party’s fiasco in the recent elections.

Similarly, an intellectual leader of the party Manmohan Bhattarai admitted that major blame goes to the party leadership. He underscored the need that the leadership took the responsibility. However, the leadership has not spoken anything about it till date.

Going further, various sections within the party and outside have pointed out the issues as sheer interference on Nepal Police organization and disbelief on judiciary.

The impeachment motion against then Chief Justice Sushila Karki and blatant efforts to block Nepal police DIG Nawaraj Silwal from becoming the Inspector General of Nepal Police alarmingly drew the attention of the major opposition CPN-UML, which ultimately made UML, chiefly its chatty leader KP Oli, popular. The UML garnered huge support of the people against Nepali Congress, which in a way is now reflected in the election result.

BLOCKADE AND OLI’S EMPTY NATIONALISM COSTS MUCH TO NC
The most unavoidable reason that took KP Oli’s ‘hollow nationalism’ to a new height is India’s economic blockade against Nepal. The blockade and the efforts to clear the blockade was so highlighted by Oli that the low-aware (most of Nepali voters are) Nepali took his initiative very positively, which Nepali Congress failed to break and make clear among the voters.

If there is anything most cashed in by the left (UML), it’s the blockade. Here lie the deep roots of NC’s fiasco in this election.

The arrogance of some particular leaders within the NC is another reason to blame. They are said to have blocked the alliance with the Madhes-centric parties though the latter had proposed for the same. It is now a big loss that even the Madhes-centric parties have gone to the leftist fold. The defeat faced by leaders like Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Sitaula and Dr Shekhar Koirala is a huge loss in deed to the party. They were in fact strong pillars to the NC in terms of the politics in Tarai/Madhes. NC must mull what caused their loss. Only an objective analysis and fair investigation shall make the party to emerge stronger in future.

In addition to these, the intra-party feud is another significant factor leading to the defeat. It is clear that the defeat of senior leader Ram Chadra Poudel in Tanahu and intellectual youth leader Bishwo Prakash Sharma in Jhapa are its examples.

UML-MC UNIFICATION CONSUMES TIME
Going to the next point, is unification of UML and Maoist Centre possible? It is almost impossible in sight. The intra-party feud that cost much to the UML and Maoists with the defeat of Bam Dev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha must be observed meaningful here, because they are key figures to bring together the two parties. But with their defeats, the unification obviously consumes time- years. It is also related whether Prachand or Oli become President or Prime Minister or the Chairman of their would-be united party.

It will also depend on how eager would Oli, well-known for his sheer arrogance, be to share positions in the new government as well as in the new-to-be-formed party.

AUTHORITARIANISM IMPOSSIBLE
Now, is it sure the leftist’s landslide victory imposes authoritarianism as NC made it a cheap slogan before the voters? Of course, not! Nepal has the history that abolished 103-year old Rana regime; party-less Panchayat system, and even Monarchy. With this in background, the practice of authoritarianism will be easily frustrated. The victory of leaders like Gagan Thapa, Dr Sashank Koirala and Prakashman Singh obviously gives room for a strong opposition in the house.

Despite this, it can’t be denied that some analysts have argued of possible threat of authoritarianism in Nepal. It depends on how political culture moves ahead.

TIME FOR NC TO IMPROVE ORGANIZATION

Ultimately, Nepali Congress as party shall never be defeated- the ones defeated are the arrogance, short-sightedness and un-accommodative nature of some particular leaders. They must correct their weakness. NC’s whole shebang needs a thorough shakeup, so that the organization would be stronger to perform better to people.

The elected leaders as Gagan Thapa, Dr Sashank and Prakash Man Singh’s effective role in the parliament is imperative. NC’s thoughts and ideologies are not defeated, so it is time to reach out to the people again.

STABILITY OF SYSTEM NEEDED
Ultimately, political stability is not mere stability of government. Change of political attitude, improvement in political culture, and stability of system are imperative to ensure political stability in Nepal. Time has come for bold, resilient and vibrant observation and close study to check whether the political leaders and parties would abide by the commitments they made in the election manifestos to suit the changed system.

Bhisma Raj Ojha 
KATHMANDU, Dec 12: The country recently witnessed the successful completion of the elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies in two phases and to date the final vote count results of almost all constituencies (165) and State Assemblies (330) have already been declared.

The elections results in many constituencies came out in favor of the left alliance while the major ruling party Nepali Congress (NC) faced an ‘unexpected’ defeat in these historic polls–viewed significantly in terms of the implementation of the constitution of federal democratic republic of Nepal.

Party’s veteran leaders like Ramchandra Poudel, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Bimalendra Nidhi, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Arjun Narsingh KC and Bishwa Prakash Sharma lost the elections to the House of Representatives.

Formation of left alliance between the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) is viewed as the main reason behind the NC defeat in the twin elections. These two big parties in the mainstream politics took part in the polls by forging an alliance which turned ‘productive’ as well.

Though there may be various visible and invisible factors leading the party to this situation, the formation of a democratic alliance just for name’s sake, factionalism/groupism within the party, lack of mutual trust and ineffective election campaign and failure of those in the party leadership to well inform the public about its good works undertaken in the past are considered as factors that led the party to this situation.

The post-election scenario does not seem to the party’s favor. To date, the NC has won only 21 seats so far in the federal parliament.

Party election mobilization committee coordinator and party leader Balkrishna Khand said the leftist alliance candidates gaining the majority in the elections was obvious at the backdrop of the second and third parties in the 2013 Constituent Assembly elections forging the electoral alliance. The left alliance candidates garnered votes of two political parties.

In his view, besides, the NC failed to attract ‘undecided’ votes to its favor. However, the NC vote towards the proportional representation system is “not discouraging.”

The party was hopeful of getting the public support in return of its role in the national politics to date, but the results came out in contrary to the expectation, he added.

The NC is the party that had had a leading role in every political change in the nation since its establishment. It had contributed much to the abolition of the autocratic Rana rule, to the success of the 1990’s movement for democracy and 2006 people’s peaceful movement, promulgation of the constitution and the peaceful completion of the three-tier election, as leader Khand believed.

According to him, the party will play a constructive role as the opposition in a new governance system. The party will strongly oppose if any attempt is made to make significant changes in the constitution, the political system and impose a unilateral rule.

Some of the party leaders took intra-party mismanagement and misconducts as the main factors that brought the party down to this situation.

Incompetency of the party leadership, operation of the party on ad hoc basis, nepotism and favoritism in the election ticket allocation, money politics and devaluation of those leaders having contribution to the party have fuelled the adverse situation, said a party leader preferring anonymity.

In view of party youth leader Bishwa Prakash Sharma, the alliance between two big political parties is the main reason behind the party’s defeat in the election. The elections results are not surprising. He agrees with the beliefs that party’s failure to go with the people with effective election agenda, its past works and make them aware of its significant role in the establishment of peace and constitution drafting are its weaknesses which are reflected in the polls results.

There may be other reasons such as scandal in regard with the appointment of Inspector General of Nepal Police and the registration of an impeachment motion against the then Chief Justice Sushila Karki that backfired the party in the elections. He demanded the party leadership to instantly call the central working committee to review the election results.