Two days after the government rejected the conclusions and recommendations of the report of European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission (EOM) on the recently concluded elections of the House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies, the EU has said that it was a standard practice for international election observation missions to offer recommendations which include the review of administrative practices, legislation and constitutions.

In a press statement on Friday, the EU said its EOM fully abided by its terms of reference and the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the authorities of Nepal. “The assessment and recommendations in the EUEOM’s final report are based on international and regional commitments for democratic elections to which Nepal is a signatory,” read the statement.

Chief Observer of the EUEOM Željana Zovko, on Tuesday, had presented the final report on the House of Representatives and provincial assembly elections.

The EU further stated that the suggested recommendations were widely consulted and discussed at a roundtable on 28 December 2017.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Thursday rejected the recommendations put forth by the EUEOM on ways to reform Nepal’s electoral system saying that its report violated the memorandum of understanding signed by it and the code of conduct for international observers.

“Despite some shortcomings identified in the process, the EU EOM also welcomed the efforts made by the Election Commission to organise the elections within a very tight timeframe,” read the statement,

The EU ECOM further noted that all recommendations are offered by the EU EOM in a spirit of partnership for the consideration of the host country. It remains up to the appreciation of the Nepalese authorities and people to decide on the terms of their Constitution and legislative framework, the EU ECOM noted.

Likewise, the EU statement pointed out that the EUEOM, in its report, had concluded that the legal framework for the elections offered a good basis for the conduct of elections.