Description
The successful outcome of the second Constituent Assembly (CA) Elections in Nepal is due primarily to the commitment of the people of Nepal to a democratic political transition. Therefore, at the very outset ANFREL would like to congratulate the people of Nepal for showing their faith in the electoral process and overcoming numerous different challenges. In the same breath, our appreciation extends to the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) for ensuring that the elections were held on time and the rights of voters to exercise their franchise were not disrupted or violated.
The efforts of all the stakeholders in supporting the democratic process amidst the political deadlock surrounding the constitution drafting processes is indeed 3 commendable. Nepal’s CA Elections in 2013 gave rise to the second observation mission for ANFREL in Nepal. For the 2013 elections, ANFREL provided 54 international observers from different countries in Asia (and a handful from elsewhere), who were supported by a dedicated, talented local staff. A special thanks goes to The Asia Foundation for the support and partnership provided to ANFREL and its support for the methodologies and principles followed by ANFREL in undertaking an election observation mission. We also recognize and thank DFID (Department for International Development) – United Kingdom for their generosity in financing the program. From the mission, ANFREL has produced a preliminary/interim report which was published and released to the media at a press conference held in Kathmandu on 21 November 2013.
This Final Report is a more comprehensive document which details the overall findings from the independent assessments and observations made during the entire mission. The content of this report represents the views and findings of ANFREL, which is an independent organization. As a result, the report’s content does not reflect the view of DFID nor any of its local representatives. Lastly, I would personally like to thank the ANFREL Core Team, which put in tremendous effort to implement the mission and, in the process, overcame several challenges from the Assessment Mission through the post election period. ANFREL sincerely wishes to see the growth of peace and democracy in the beautiful land of Nepal and hopes that this election can be a foundation for that growth.