I congratulate Nepal’s Interim Election Council of Ministers for setting a date for elections. It has been more than twelve months since Nepal’s Constituent Assembly suspended its activities, and the intervening year has been a difficult one for Nepal’s democracy. An elected legislature is the heart of a democratic system. It is where the people’s voices are most directly heard and represented, and no democracy can survive long without one. Whatever your opinion about the accommodations made to reach this point, setting a concrete date for elections is reason enough for celebration. At the same time, we should not be complacent. Free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections—our shared goal—require much more than a date. Many preparations are already underway, but a lot of hard work needs to be done between now and November 19.
The US is committed to helping Nepal at this historic moment. Over the past year, the US government has spent approximately US$ 5.5 million (Rs 485 million) to support Nepal’s democratic institutions and help lay the groundwork for free, fair, and credible elections. The most visible signs of this are the three printing presses that are now ready to print ballots as a result of US assistance provided through the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES). Through IFES and other partners, including the National Democratic Institute, The Asia Foundation, and The Carter Center, we continue to support voter registration and education, provide technical assistance to Nepal’s Election Commission, and encourage Nepal’s political parties to be more responsive to their constituencies. And as a donor to the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction-managed Nepal Peace Trust Fund, we have joined the government to provide support to polling stations and monitoring operations, mobile citizenship-voter registration teams, and election security. [break]
As November 19 approaches, the US will also work closely with the Election Commission and our international and local partners to help train election personnel and organize voter observation missions. I understand that there will be 40,000 polling places in Nepal. That is a staggering figure, which creates a pressing need for Nepali election observers. And on election day itself, the US will support monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure the polls are free and fair. To be clear, the US does not choose sides, and we do not pick winners. Our focus is on the strength and viability of the electoral process itself.
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These are Nepal’s elections, and, ultimately, it is up to the people of this country to ensure that the polls take place on time and credibly represent the will of the Nepali people. Nepal’s Election Commission will put out a Code of Conduct in the coming days, and I am confident that it will establish in detail the ground rules for ethical campaigning. The foundation is simple—integrity, civility, and, above all, a commitment to non-violence. There is no need for political parties to wait. Now that an election date is set, I call on Nepal’s political leaders to publicly recommit themselves to these fundamental values.
Here I would like to make a particular appeal to Nepal’s smaller parties, many of which have expressed frustration about being left out of the process.
Participate in the elections. Do not isolate yourselves further. Your participation is the surest and most legitimate way to make your voices heard, as well as those of the people you represent. If you decide for whatever reason not to participate, you are free to make that choice. What is not legitimate is for any group to prevent others from participating. Election-related intimidation, vandalism, threats, and violence have no place in democracy.
While political parties are important, they are not the only forces that matter. The people’s movements of 1990 and 2006, the jana andolan, are a credit to Nepal’s political parties but they are more than anything a triumph of Nepal’s civil society. Nepal needs that idealism now, tempered with pragmatism and common sense. The media too have a vital role to play, reporting on events without bias or fear of intimidation. I also call on youth, women, and other traditionally underrepresented groups to make their voices heard—not just to demand that there be young, female, and minority candidates participating in the elections, but to ensure that all candidates address the concerns of these important groups.
One of the many positive legacies of the people’s movements of 1990 and 2006 was to give voice to a much wider range of Nepali people, including millions who previously felt excluded. For this legacy to live on, it needs to be embedded in Nepali institutions. The surest and most appropriate way for this to happen in a democracy is through elections. Nepal must confront tough issues: I am constantly reminded that November’s elections will not be just for a parliament, but for a Constituent Assembly that will craft the country’s constitution. Nepal’s voters have important tasks ahead: educate yourselves on your choice of candidates, hold them to their promises, and keep them honest. Help elect a Constituent Assembly that will succeed where the previous one could not.
The author is the US ambassador to Nepal
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