IFES - Nepal

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Nepal

More women getting ready to vote

April 10, 2008, notes Nepal’s historic Constituent Assembly election. Approximately 60% of the 17.6 million voters enthusiastically turned out to vote in 9,821 polling locations. Long queues of both men and women patiently lined up from early morning to cast their vote.

• 240 first-past-the-post single-member constituency
• 335 proportional list seats
• 26 cabinet appointments

The election was monitored by more than 60,000 domestic and over 900 international observers, including observers from the Carter Center, EU and ANFREL. Statements from the major observation groups are due the 12^th of April and will be very important for the integrity of the electoral process.  The total cost of the elections is estimated around 40 million US dollars.

Current Projects

Building Nepal's Electoral Infrastructure

Nepal’s path towards democracy—which spans the past 15 years—has not always been smooth. However, recent developments offer grounds for optimism. In 2006, King Gyanendra abdicated the absolute control over government he had claimed in 2005, reinstated parliament, and named a prime minister. Since then, parliament has acted to curtail the king’s power. 

In another positive development, in late 2006 the government and Maoist guerrillas signed a historic peace accord, ending a destructive 10-year insurgency. Under the peace agreement, the rebels have joined a transitional government, which has begun to draft a new constitution. The Nepalese have opted for the unusual solution of adopting an interim constitution before electing a constituent assembly that will draft the permanent version. 

IFES is working with the Election Commission and political and civil society leaders to help them achieve a successful democratic transformation. Specifically, IFES is supporting these groups as they 

·         Prepare for the constituent assembly: IFES is providing technical assistance to the interim government regarding the organization and conduct of a constituent assembly. It is also supporting the Election Commission in preparation for the election of members of the assembly.

·         Inform and educate the public: IFES is collaborating with local stakeholders to enhance public understanding of democratic practices and citizens’ rights/responsibilities in a democracy.

In addition, IFES continues to provide guidance to the Election Commission and/or other governmental and civil society organizations in how to conduct free and fair elections, carry out effective voter education, and monitor and report on the conduct of a poll.

Past Projects in Nepal »