Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology of the Key Events
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Prologue: Flying the Flag
- The Setting: The Kingdom in the Clouds
- The Story: The Rocky Road to Democracy
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Epilogue: Working Towards Peace
- Postscript: Bhojraj Pokharel
- Annexures
- Notes on References
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 26
from The Story: The Rocky Road to Democracy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2014
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology of the Key Events
- List of Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Prologue: Flying the Flag
- The Setting: The Kingdom in the Clouds
- The Story: The Rocky Road to Democracy
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Epilogue: Working Towards Peace
- Postscript: Bhojraj Pokharel
- Annexures
- Notes on References
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
As the election day neared, security became the most pressing issue for the Commission. The fragile security—including the weak rule of law and human rights violations—was identified by different international organisations such as the UNMIN, the OHCHR-Nepal and Carter Center as the major challenge to a free and fair election. In December 2007, a report on human rights was also published, covering the period since the signing of the Comprehensive agreement by OHCHR-Nepal. The report said that the emergence of armed groups, the escalation of violence among them, and the growing social unrest about issues of exclusion posed a serious challenge for the government and state institutions responsible for maintaining law and order and protecting the rights of the population. The report also raised concerns about the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of murder and other violence—be they the State, the Maoist cadres or the armed ethnic groups. According to the report, between January and October 2007 around 130 civilians were killed, including 60 people killed by armed groups. These findings indicated that an outbreak of large-scale violence was still the greatest threat to the election.
The already bad security situation worsened two weeks before the election when a bomb exploded in a Mosque in the eastern part of Nepal, killing two Muslims and injuring many others. The international community, and local political party leaders in Nepal started questioning the wisdom of trying to hold an election in such a tense environment.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Nepal Votes for Peace , pp. 157 - 160Publisher: Foundation BooksPrint publication year: 2014