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Nepal
2007: On the Way to Democracy and Peace
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The
Carter Center Deploys Election Observers in Nepal
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Kathmandu,
9 March 2007, Carter Center Election Observation Mission
The
Carter Center launched an international election observation mission in
Nepal with the deployment this week of thirteen long-term observers in
all five development regions around the country. The long-term observers
come from eight countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, France,
Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. The purpose
of the mission is to observe the process leading up to, including, and
following the constituent assembly elections to help ensure that voting
takes place in a conducive environment free from fear, violence, or fraud.
A Carter Center international election observation mission field office,
established in Kathmandu in early January, will manage the observation
mission.
"The
Carter Center welcomes this opportunity to support the Nepalese people
in their transition to sustainable peace and multi-party democracy and
encourages all parties to the process to participate actively and ultimately
to respect the will of the people," said David Carroll, director of the
Carter Center's Democracy Program.
The
Carter Center has been active in Nepal since 2003 and was invited by the
government of Nepal, several political parties, and the election commission
of Nepal to observe the constituent assembly electoral process. Carter Center
representatives have met with political parties, election officials, civil
society, domestic observer groups, and the international community, all
of whom have encouraged an international observation presence by the Center
in order to help build confidence in the electoral process.
"It
is our hope that the political leadership of Nepal and all actors in the
process will continue to seek open dialogue and compromise in the pursuit
of a transparent, inclusive, and credible electoral process that best enables
the people of Nepal to exercise their democratic rights," said Darren Nance,
Carter Center Nepal field office director.
The
Carter Center conducts its activities in a nonpartisan, professional manner
in accordance with applicable law and international standards for election
monitoring set forth in the Declaration of Principles for International
Election Observation. The Center will remain in close communication with
other international and domestic observer delegations and will publish
periodic statements on its findings and recommendations on its Web site,
www.cartercenter.org.
The
Carter Center hashelped to improvelife for people inmore than 65 countries by presolving
conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity;
preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in
developing nations to increase crop production. The Carter Center was founded
in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in
partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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| Source: Carter
Center Election Observation Mission 2007 |
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