Nepal’s politicians and civil society must conduct a clear assessment of why elections for its Constituent Assembly have had to be postponed twice this year.
Said earlier Tuesday by the senior United Nations envoy to the country, calling on all sides to outline a realistic road map for the future.
OP TIL FOLKET
Ian Martin, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Nepal, told a press conference in Kathmandu that the UN Mission to the South Asian country (UNMIN) is willing to expand its mandate to help implement the peace process.
But only if requested by the people of Nepal.
MANGE HURDLER
He stressed that credible Constituent Assembly elections cannot take place until the peace process is on a more solid footing.
– This requires not just the setting of a date, but agreement on a road map which will ensure that there is not yet another failure to hold the election on whatever new date is agreed, Mr. Martin said, and continued:
– Despite the best efforts, two dates set for the election have come and gone. It is now time for a frank analysis by Nepali politicians and civil society of why this has been the case, and what are the requirements for a successful electoral process to go forward.
BAGGRUNDEN
The elections were initially to be held mid-year but then delayed until 22 November.
But the interim Government announced last month that the polls were being postponed again to an as yet undetermined date because of ongoing disputes between the Seven-Party Alliance that comprises the Government and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M).
Once elected, the Constituent Assembly is supposed to draft a new constitution for Nepal, where an estimated 13,000 people were killed during the decade-long civil conflict that formally ended when the Government and Maoists signed a peace accord last year.
Kilde: www.un.org
