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Nepal Project
2008 Carter Center Elections Observation Scrapbook
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Dee's partner Sanne van den Bergh from the Netherlands, who had been working for the UN in Darfur, is checking out some of the equipment provided each team: satellite and cell phones |
It was a beautiful and clear view of the Himalayas on the way to Surkhet in the Midwestern Development Region of Nepal where Sanne and Dee were assigned. |
Along the road from Nepalgunj to Birendranagar, our homebase, we took the pulse of readiness for participation and awareness of the upcoming elections and were pleasantly surprised at how informed and committed people were.
Women farmers were quick to point out their interest in voting and where they would vote - some expecting to walk four or more hours early on April 10. |
Women sitting in roadside cart-stalls selling vegetables where also ready and planned to vote early so they could get back to business. |
Interest in us as "Carter" observers and political rallies were common along the way as well. Ordinary citizens seemed pleased with the attention and commented they felt more secure about participating with on-lookers.
Two potential voters look at The Carter Center card about our observation. Boy on right is wearing a Nepali Congress t-shirt. |
Folks from a Maoist communist party rally talk to our team about the elections and their hopes. |
Armed police, disabled, elderly, children and more rallies continued to make clear the preparations for and excitement about this chance for the people's voices to be heard.
Armed police, out in force with temporary police before the elections, explained they had a polling place designated and they were prepared if their were problems. |
The disabled knew where to vote and would be given the right to go to the head of the voting lines, this gentleman explained. |
These gentlemen had been waiting years to get a chance to vote again and were clearly committed to getting to the polls. |
This young girl sporting a Nepali Congress tikka reflects the generally festive air in the days leading up to the election. |
Women from the United Marxist Leninist Party join a street rally; lots of children joined in as well. |
These voters are listening to last of the candidates' words before all campaigning comes to a halt at midnight on April 8. |
The observation teams meet with government, party and security officials in town and went to check out preparations at polling stations before the big day in a number of villages.
Determining where we would be observing the elections on April 10 became more complex after a candidate was killed on April 8 and voting in one third of our area was postponed. |
Preparing these outdoor polling stations took a full day or more in most areas. |
Local young men from the Communist Youth League said they were ready for the elections. |
Not all people who wanted could vote, however, as these nomadic women pointed out. |
On the April 10 our team left at 4:00 AM to get to a remote polling area an hour before the 7:00 AM opening to watch the polling center activities. Hundreds of people were lining up even an hour before the polls opened. Observers, election officials, assigned police were working well and ready to begin on time.
Local official showing an empty ballot box and then securing the lid with numbered strips to observers assigned from each party to watch the process. |
People waited patiently to vote; elderly, disabled and women with children generally were allowed to go first. |
People eligible to vote in a ward (determined in a December 2006 census) had two separate ballots to mark. One was for a party candidate; the second was for the party only. Two hundred and forty members of the new constituent assembly would be elected by the FPTP blue ballot (First-Past-the-Post);three hundred and thirty five members would be elected by party only on a PR pink ballot (Proportional Representation). Each party had a pre-approved candidate party list for appointing members according to proportion of the vote secured.
Each Voter had permanent ink marking applied to their right thumbs to verify they had voted. |
Elderly first voter carefully pushes in his ballot in the ballot box, as instructed by an official, after marking it at a small privacy-screened table. |
We also went to polling stations in cantonments for members of the Maoist PLA, near army barracks and at special polling stations for armed police and civil society. Here people only voted the pink ballot because they were not residents of the wards.
The Maoist cantonment voters where ready and waiting early. |
Army personnel were also keen to vote in the polling station set up just outside their base. |
Securing the ballots and getting them to the counting centers accompanied by observers and police was taken very seriously.
After sealing all the ballet boxes before observers with marked strips and cloth, sewing up all related materials and placing wax seals on these bags, these items were taken by armed security police to primary election centers for counting. |
At the election centers again, officials and observers confirm these are the boxes with the tags put on at the polling site. |
Finally the counting of ballots!
Counting Blue “First-Past-the-Post” ballots. |
Counting Pink “Proportional Representation” ballots. |
On April 12 President Carter held a press conference declaring that generally the elections appeared free and fair and we extended our congratulations, thank yous and goodbyes after a most interesting trip.
The Carter Center Press Conference |
It was a privilege to be part of this team. |
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Carter Center Election Observation
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Timeline of Activities
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IPJ Project Background
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Brief Historical Overview
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Maps of IPJ Nepal Project Sites
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Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492 | 619-260-7509 | fax 619-260-7570
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