Carter Centre to observe Constituent Assembly election in Nepal

Kathmandu, Nov 23 (UNI) The US Carter Center has accepted an invitation of the Nepali government and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) to act as an observer of the Constituent Assembly elections which would be held in the Himalayan nation next year.

President of the Carter Center (CC) and former US President Jimmy Carter in separate letters to Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Chairman of the CPN-M Prachanda has confirmed the CC's involvement in monitoring the election process, Kantipur reported here today.

Earlier, Mr Koirala, NC (D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar, Nepal and Maoist Chairman Prachanda had also written separate letters to Mr Carter, inviting the Center's involvement.

"In light of the commitment of our party towards free and fair elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA), we shall be happy to invite the Carter Center's involvement in observing the CA elections," Kantipur quoted the letter of Prachanda as saying.

Mr Carter, in his letter to Prachanda wrote: "I value your commitment to conduct the CA elections in a conducive environment free from fear, intimidation or fraud." Nepal will be the 62nd country where the Carter Center has been involved in an election observation.

Kantipur also quoted Country Representative of the Centre, Dr Duman Thapa as saying that the Center will soon expand its Nepal office and begin monitoring of the electoral process.

"The observation will begin right from the preparation of the polls," he said.

He also informed that 10 long-term international observers would soon arrive in Kathmandu to begin the process of observation saying, " 40 additional observers will come for two weeks during the CA polls".

Mr Carter would also visit Nepal, most probably during the election, he futher added.

The government and the Maoists had signed a landmark peace agreement declaring the end of their 10- year long insurgency which has claimed the lives of over 13,000 people.

The two sides also agreed to form an interim government with the Maoists, adopt a new interim constitution, form a new interim parliament, democratise the Nepali army and hold elections of the Constituent Assembly under the aegis of the United Nations.

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