CONTEXT
Political update
On 13 March the four major political parties (Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, Nepali Congress,Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist and United Democratic Madheshi Front) signed an agreement to appoint an ‘Interim Electoral Council of Ministers’ (IECM) under the Chairpersonship of the sitting Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi. The following day, President Ram Baran Yadav swore in Chief Justice Regmi as Chairperson of the IECM, ending ten months of political and constitutional crisis since the Constituent Assembly (CA) was dissolved on 28 May 2012.
The 11-point agreement between the four major political parties mandated the new caretaker administration to hold elections for a new 491 member CAby 21 June or mid December 2013 at the latest. Most members of the international community, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, welcomed the agreement that appears to have paved the way for elections. During his visit to Nepal UN Undersecretary General for the Department of Political Affairs pledged UN’s support for elections, stressing the need for major parties to bring on board smaller parties currently opposed to the process. Also agreed as part of the package deal was the promulgation of an ordinance to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and final ranks of former Maoist combatants being integrated into the Nepal Army. However, both national and international human rights actors continue to express serious concerns both over the process as well as certain provisions in the Truth and Reconciliation Ordinance, in particular provisions related to amnesty.
On 24 March, Election Commissioners, including former acting Chief Commissioner Neel Kantha Upreti, were appointed to the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) but an election date has yet to be announced and necessary changes to election laws have yet to be made. Several political, technical and practical challenges for a June election remain. Various identity based groups and leftist fringe parties, notably the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) opposed the process and disrupted attempts by the ECN to register new voters in nearly 30 districts. The protesting parties have objections over the lack of inclusiveness of the current political process and fear several provisions of the proposed elections will reverse their gains in representation made at the last election or be disadvantageous to them in this election.
Operational space The month of March witnessed an increase in reports of operational space issues by signatories to the Basic Operating Guidelines (BOGs) mainly due to bandhs imposed by various political parties in protest of the decision by the four major parties to form the Chief Justice-led government (IECM). On 6 March, a nationwide bandh called by various parties, including CPN-Maoist, was observed effective across Nepal and led to the closure of markets and academic institutions.Also, vehicular movement of BOGs signatories and implementing partners with red-plated vehicles was affected. Though some agencies imposed selfrestrictions UN vehicle movements in general were not affected.
On 7 March, the nationwide bandh enforced by the Madheshi People's Right Forum-Nepal (MPRF-Nepal)-led Federal Democratic Alliancewas observed effective particularly in the Eastern Region (ER) and Tarai districts of the Mid Western (MWR) and Far Western Regions (FWR). Only those BOGs signatories and implementing partners with red-plated vehicles faced difficulties moving or imposed self-restrictions on their vehicle movements.