May 12, Kathmandu – The monitoring report on the House of Representatives election has been published. Released by Democracy Resource Centre Nepal (DRCN), the report covers observations from the election held on February 21. It includes analysis of the pre-election environment, preparations by the Election Commission, election campaigning, adherence to the code of conduct, voting procedures, direct observation of vote counting, interactions with stakeholders, and collected data.
The report highlights that despite complex political and security challenges, the peaceful and secure conduct of the election helped ease the constitutional and political crisis that emerged after the people’s movement, according to DRCN.
Although the Election Commission successfully conducted the election amid structural dependencies and legal complexities, inconsistencies in manpower management and weaknesses in training posed challenges to its performance, the report states. Legally, overlapping and ambiguous election laws complicated implementation. Issues such as voter registration management, unauthorized voting, voting rights of Nepalis abroad, and the implementation of the ‘NOTA’ system remain unresolved. The report calls for further initiatives to ensure an inclusive and fully participatory electoral system.
At the report launch, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari acknowledged that conducting the election under extraordinary circumstances was no small achievement. He attributed the election’s success to hard work and dedication, advising monitoring organizations to highlight not only negative findings but also positive efforts and initiatives. Vidushi Dhungel, Country Representative of the National Democratic Institute, while providing a critical review, noted that organizations like DRCN consistently offer constructive suggestions during elections, which the Election Commission should take seriously.
Alok Pokhrel, President of DRCN, explained that the organization’s core themes are elections, good governance, democracy, and federalism, and this report reflects thorough study and analysis on these topics. A team of 94 observers from DRCN monitored 204 wards across 64 local units in 34 districts. The report includes observations from 452 polling stations within 413 polling locations.
