In spite of monsoon rains, the meeting room at hotel Jagadamba in Dhangadhi, a town in the far west region of Nepal bordering India, is full of animated representatives from political parties, members of civil society, the police and judiciary interacting with officials from the Election Commission of Nepal. Everyone congregated at the behest of the commission to take part in a two-day post Constituent Assembly election review and planning meeting organized by IFES and funded by the International Narcotics Law Enforcement Bureau (INL).

The high-level delegation from the Election Commission that facilitated these meetings reflects the Commission’s commitment to work at a regional level and the importance of talking and listening to key stakeholders throughout the country. As Election Commissioner Neel Uprety explained during a coffee break on the hotel rooftop overlooking bright green paddy fields:

“We are currently in the process of defining the strategy for the commission for the next five years. To do this it is very important that we take into account the practical experience of people on the ground - they are the ones who saw first-hand what was right and wrong about the election. Unless we learn from this, any future plans we have will not be practical or pragmatic”.

The two-day stakeholder conferences were held in all five regions of Nepal and will culminate in a sixth high level meeting in Kathmandu. On the first day, following a review of the management and logistical aspects of the election, participants were divided into five groups and allocated one of five key electoral issues: security; election centre management; election education and training; counting and results; the code of conduct and election observation. Each group analyzed positive aspects and areas for improvement and made recommendations. The second day looked at the Commission’s strategic planning process and specifically the key issue of voter registration, identified as an important area to address before the next election.

It was clear from the level of participation and interaction of the participants that this workshop was a welcome initiative. As Goma Joshi, a member of the Women’s Advocacy Forum, said:

“Although everyone here has a different background, we were all involved in the Constituent Assembly election.  I was, for example, an observer for NEOC (National Election Observation Committee), and have certainly got opinions on how observers should be deployed in the future and on issues such as the voters’ registry and on the transportation of ballot boxes. It is a good idea to bring us together.  I am happy to have been invited and to be able to share my opinion and understand the bigger picture.”

Joshi’s view was echoed by Senior Superintendent for the Armed Police Force Jeet Pun:

“I believe in democracy and the right of the people to have a say in the future of our country.  Meetings like this mean that we can give a voice of the people outside Kathmandu and share our experience, in this case, of the far western region.  It is good that the Election Commission has come to speak to us and is involving us in its future planning”.

At the end of the two-day meeting, the staff from the Election Commission was delighted with the high quality feedback it received. The team headed back to Kathmandu, where the information from all five regional meetings will be analyzed and compiled into regional reports and one overall report. The reports summarize feedback and recommendations made, as well as identify particular experiences for each region.