Miscellaneous
US hails local level vote II
The United States has said it appreciates the efforts of everyone who participated in conducting “what appears to have been generally orderly, peaceful and broadly supported local elections in Provinces 1, 5, and 7”.The United States has said it appreciates the efforts of everyone who participated in conducting “what appears to have been generally orderly, peaceful and broadly supported local elections in Provinces 1, 5, and 7”.
People in 35 districts of the three provinces voted in the second phase of local elections on Wednesday with the first round held on May 14 in Provinces 3, 4 and 6.
“As Nepal prepares for the third phase of local elections in Province 2 in September, we urge all stakeholders to work to create the necessary conditions to ensure that the people of Province 2 will also have the same opportunity to peacefully exercise their democratic right to elect local representation,” the US Embassy stated on Thursday.
Stating that the United States strongly encourages the government of Nepal to permit unrestricted international election observation during this crucial final phase of local elections, in order to enable the international community, including accredited diplomats, to observe and offer support to the outcomes of the election, the US said: “We encourage continued efforts to reach a political agreement enabling the broadest participation of voters in the final phase of local elections. Compromises may be required on all sides.”
“We call on all parties to mutually respect the freedom of peaceful expression and assembly, and individual voters’ rights as laid out in Nepal’s laws and constitution,” the statement read. “We also call on the security forces to exercise restraint and comply with existing national and international standards when carrying out their duties.”
The embassy said the Unites States looks forward to Nepal’s timely completion of elections at the provincial and national levels in order to solidify the credibility of the electoral process and strengthen democratic transition across Nepal.