EU Commissioner praises elections in Nepal

Brussels, Apr.15 : Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, has congratulated the people of Nepal, the country's political parties and participating candidates for their commitment to the historic elections in Nepal.

"I congratulate the Nepalese people for their strong commitment to the democratic process in their country. I encourage everybody to remain calm and patiently await the election results. These landmark elections will hopefully close a very painful chapter in the country's history and will constitute the first step in Nepal's process to restoring a representative and vibrant democracy in the country. The EU will accompany these efforts. I also want to thank the Chief Observer, Mr. Mulder, MEP, and the whole observation mission for their hard work."

The elections for the constituent assembly in Nepal took place on the 10th of April. Election day was generally calm, orderly and well organised. The European Commission notes with satisfaction that, despite a rather tense pre-electoral climate, the elections registered a high turnout of voters.

The EU has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) to Nepal, led by a Member of the European Parliament, Jan Mulder, as a contribution to democracy and stability in Nepal. The preliminary statement, presented by the Chief Observer Mr. Mulder together with the Head of the European Parliament delegation, Mr. Borrell Fontelles, on the 12th of April, concluded that election day was largely successful despite a tense campaign period.

The EU EOM deployed 120 observers from 22 EU Member States and Norway and Switzerland throughout Nepal to observe and assess the electoral process, in accordance with international standards for elections as well as the laws of Nepal. The EOM will stay on the ground until mid May to observe the post-election developments and the tabulation of results.

The EU EOM will publish a final report covering the elections and containing recommendations on the electoral process in the next few months.

ANI