Analysis Update –10

Period: July 12 – August 2, 2017 | Published: August 07, 2017 

After the vote counting for the June 28 elections officially concluded on July 11, there was one election-related incident recorded by Nepal Monitor between July 12 and August 2. This is the lowest number of election-related incidents recorded during any equivalent time period since the announcement of local elections on February 20. An additional incident related to dissatisfaction over local body restructuring was also recorded during this period. The significant decline in incidents can mostly be attributed to the absence of political party activity across the country with more than five weeks before the third phase of local elections are scheduled to take place.

Although Rashtriya Janta Party Nepal (RJPN) formally registered as a party at the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) on July 7, the party continued to insist that the amendment to constitution was a necessary precondition for them to participate in the elections. While there had been a series of dialogue between the major parties in ruling coalition and the agitating RJPN, they were yet to reach a breakthrough as of August 2.

There were a significant number of incidents recorded during the first and second phase of local elections. It is anticipated that the number of election-related incidents will increase with the resumption of campaigns for and against elections as the election date draws nearer in Province 2.

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This is the tenth in a series of periodic analysis updates that Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) and the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP) | NepalMonitor.org will be releasing during the upcoming elections period. This project receives financial and technical support from The Asia Foundation and The Carter Center.