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Chapter 15

from The Story: The Rocky Road to Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2014

Bhojraj Pokharel
Affiliation:
Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal
Shrishti Rana
Affiliation:
Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal
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Summary

A significant development that helped to create a positive atmosphere for the June elections was the formal entry of a world body—the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)—into the Nepalese politico-electoral arena. The UNMIN was established on 23 January 2007, by Security Council Resolution 1740, with its main focus being to help conduct the Constituent Assembly election in a free and fair manner.

The UNMIN established a tangible presence by setting up an Electoral Assistance Office in Bahadur Bhavan. Fida Nasrullah, a middle-aged Lebanese woman, was appointed Chief Technical Adviser. The arrival of more international election experts in Kathmandu helped spread a galvanic election atmosphere throughout the country. This atmosphere was further enhanced when the UN started monitoring the weaponry of the Maoist rebels and their army personnel. This was crucial to ensure the election met international norms.

In March 2007, the UNMIN reported over 31,000 Maoist army personnel, who were placed in 28 cantonment sites under the supervision of unarmed UNMIN monitors. A total of 3,475 Maoist weapons were stored in seven main cantonment sites, under round-the-clock guard. The following month, the UNMIN registered and stored 2,855 Nepal Army weapons, again under 24 hour guard, as agreed by the peace pact.

The Chief decided to team up the newly-arrived UN international advisors to the Commission with his domestic staff in an attempt to bolster the capacity of the local operatives. It was hoped this collaboration would help achieve the common goal, of a successful election.

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Publisher: Foundation Books
Print publication year: 2014

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  • Chapter 15
  • Bhojraj Pokharel, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Shrishti Rana, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal
  • Book: Nepal Votes for Peace
  • Online publication: 05 April 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9789382993599.018
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  • Chapter 15
  • Bhojraj Pokharel, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Shrishti Rana, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal
  • Book: Nepal Votes for Peace
  • Online publication: 05 April 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9789382993599.018
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Chapter 15
  • Bhojraj Pokharel, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Shrishti Rana, Former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal
  • Book: Nepal Votes for Peace
  • Online publication: 05 April 2014
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9789382993599.018
Available formats
×