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VOL. 27, NO. 9, October 12, 2007 (Ashwin 25 2064 B.S.)
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Foreign Concern
Nepal’s foreign friends express concern over the postponement of CA polls
By A CORRESSPONDENT
United States of America, India, European Union and United Nations expressed concern over repeated postponement of polls saying that it erodes credibility of democratic transition
Expressing disappointment at the suspensions of the elections in Nepal, India has said that repeated postponement of elections erodes the credibility and legitimacy of democratic transformation.
"We are disappointed at the postponement of the elections in Nepal, which has occurred for the third time. The repeated postponement of elections erodes credibility and affects the process of democratic transformation and legitimization in Nepal,” a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
India, however, expressed hope that the special session of the parliament would resolve all pertaining issues and go for free and fair elections at the earliest.
“We hope that the special session of the Interim Parliament will address all relevant issues democratically, to enable the people of Nepal, who have sacrificed so much, to choose at the earliest their own future and the manner of their governance, through a free and fair election process."
Meanwhile, the United Nations Mission in Nepal has stressed on the alliance of the political parties in the face of the suspension of the polls.
“Although there will be great disappointment among many people in Nepal and on the part of the international community, what is important now is that the political parties maintain their alliance and go forward to agree on how to create the conditions for the Constituent Assembly election, and on how to sustain and deepen the peace process and its implementation,” UNMIN chief Ian Martin said, expressing commitment to sustained support for peace process in Nepal
The United States is disappointed by the decision by the Interim Government of Nepal to suspend the Constituent Assembly election process. The people of Nepal have been denied a timely opportunity to elect representatives to decide the framework for the future Government of Nepal. It is important that all parties firmly commit themselves to quickly establish a new election date. The United States wishes to express its appreciation to the Election Commission, which met the legal, technical and logistical challenges that the Constituent Assembly election posed. We urge the Government of Nepal, with the full support of all parties, immediately to address the key elements of the Comprehensive Peace Accord which remain unfulfilled and to implement its agreements with various ethnic groups. The period between now and the Constituent Assembly election should be used to show the people of Nepal that the Interim Government is responsive to and can meet its commitments to make a better life for the people of this country.
EU Heads of Mission are deeply disappointed that elections will not take place as scheduled. But this is a new phase and critical opportunity in Nepal’s peace process. The European Union is ready to support this new phase and remains willing to continue helping move the peace process forward. The EU is confident that supporting the peace process is what the overwhelming majority of the Nepalese people want.
“We urge the Government, the political parties, civil society and others to work together in support of the peace process and to honour the agreements and commitments they have already made. Setting out a clear plan for what will need to happen to enable free and fair elections to go ahead in the future will be an important part of building trust and confidence in the peace process. An agreed roadmap will be vital,” said European Union in its Press Release.
The Government needs to improve the delivery of basic services in particular health, education and roads. We encourage the parties to develop some high-profile initiatives on basic services which they can jointly support. Development must remain a priority for Government and its international partners. The Nepalese people need to see tangible improvements in their lives, not just political change, if they are to remain confident in the future. We will work with the Government to take this forward.
The Carter Center is disappointed with the announcement of a second postponement of Nepal’s constituent assembly election. The Center hopes that Nepal's political leadership will now use the time ahead of them wisely to reach reasonable compromises on key issues in dispute. The peace process will be under severe stress if the delay is too long, and all sides should as quickly as possible agree on and establish a timeline for implementing key steps and holding an election.
