Elections 2022
Forty-six organisations, including two foreign ones, will be on hand to observe the House of Representatives (HoR) and Provincial Assembly Member elections on November 20.
Similarly, the Election Commission said that representatives of the election commissions of six countries are coming to Nepal for election observation.
"Among the organisations we have given recognition to, only two - the Asian Network for Free Elections and the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation - will be participating in the monitoring," Deputy Secretary of the Election Commission Kamal Bhattarai said.
According to him, officials of the election commissions from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and South Korea are also arriving in Nepal for election observation. They will be observing the elections in the Kathmandu Valley and nearby districts.
Likewise, the representatives and distinguished persons of foreign diplomatic missions based in Nepal will be mobilizing for the election observation.
"Representatives of diplomatic missions will be monitoring and observing the election on the voting day. The commission can also call renowned, experienced and distinguished persons also for election observation," Bhattarai said.
Section 6 of the Election Commission Act allows national and foreign individuals and organisations to observe election-related works and activities. The Election Commission permits the same.
Individuals and organisations mobilised on election observation will monitor aspects like the elections' legitimacy, independence, fairness, impartiality, and equality. The election observation agencies also observe the activities of the political parties, compliance with the code of conduct, security and political violence during the election to confirm the elections are conducted in a fair, impartial, and fear-free manner.
A separate code of conduct is prescribed for the organisation and individual poll observers. Chapter 6 of the Election Code of Conduct 2079 contains the conduct to be followed by the observing organisations and supervisors. In addition, there is a provision that the organisation that has received the observation permission must submit a report to the commission within three days after the completion of the observation work. Such organisations should also submit the details of income and expenditure incurred during the election to the commission within 30 days.
Similarly, the observers can observe the elections only in the areas permitted by the commission. Security-sensitive areas cannot be monitored. In addition, there is a provision that the observers cannot be posted for observation in the municipality ward where he has his permanent residence or whose name is included in the voter's list. - RSS
