March 23, 2008 UN Reports Violence
Upsurge
Ahead of Nepal Polls
By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu
With a little over a fortnight left before Nepal goes to its first
national polls after almost a decade, the UN has warned the
government that there has been an upsurge of killings, intimidation
against candidates and voters, and threats to disrupt the electoral
process.
The UN Mission in Nepal, which is supervising the guerrilla army of
the Maoists and monitoring the state of security to assess if the
historic April 10 constituent assembly election will be free and
fair, said in its first election report that though Nepal was moving
positively towards the twice-postponed election, there were still
significant political hurdles.
This included violence by groups opposed to the election, serious
violations of the electoral code of conduct and of human rights, and
flouting of obligations regarding arms and armies.
In the southern plains of Terai, Nepal's new Achilles' heel where
flaring violence derailed the polls last year, the UN agency said
the activities of armed groups opposing the polls had intensified
with an "upsurge of killings, violence, intimidation against
candidates and voters and threats to disrupt the electoral process".
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, a former band of Maoists that is
opposing the polls and this month gunned down a candidate, has
outlined a series of actions planned to disrupt the election.
"Numerous reports have been received of candidates being pressured
to withdraw their nominations," the UN report said.
"Several candidates have reported receiving death threats over the
telephone and candidates' houses and party offices have been
targeted with improvised explosive devices."
While Kamal Prasad Adhikari, the candidate of a minor communist
party, was assassinated in Banke district, Ashok Kumar Yadav, a
candidate of the Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist-Leninist
(UML) that is in the ruling alliance, was stabbed in Saptari
district in the Terai.
"The situation risks becoming increasingly volatile," the report
said.
The UN body is also concerned at the poll campaign becoming
increasingly violent, with daily reports of clashes between party
supporters, use of other forms of violence, intimidation and
threats.
"There is a marked gulf of distrust and hostility among political
parties," the report said.
It also pointed out that the Maoist cadres, especially their dreaded
youth wing, the Young Communist League, were preventing other
parties' rallies and often using violence or threat of violence.
"The pattern of these incidents has raised serious questions about
whether the Maoists, or significant parts of it, are willing to
engage in a genuinely free and fair democratic process," the report
said.
UNMIN is also alleging that the Maoists have violated the peace
agreement they signed two years ago by allowing their guerrilla army
commanders to contest the election and soldiers to campaign for
them.
The peace pact had seen both the rebels and the ruling parties
pledge that the armies of both would remain confined to barracks
till the election to create a fearless poll atmosphere.
The UN scrutiny has found a significant number of guerrilla
combatants exiting from their cantonments to hit the poll trail in
violation of the pact.
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