The press release issued on March 5 states that 52 teams comprising the Chairperson, members, former officials, and staff of the National Human Rights Commission monitored the House of Representatives election in 75 districts from a human rights perspective.
The Commission reported that its monitoring found that voting was temporarily suspended in some polling centers in districts including Dolakha, Syangja, and Sarlahi due to disputes, but was later resumed.
The press release also noted that no voters turned up at some polling centers in districts including Dang, Okhaldhunga, and Darchula, while only a very small number of voters participated in voting at some other polling centers.
It further stated that disputes occurred among political party workers at some polling centers, and that some polling locations were not accessible for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, new mothers, and senior citizens.
The Commission also found that some polling stations were located far from settlements, which resulted in persons with disabilities, pregnant women, new mothers, senior citizens, and others being deprived of their right to vote.
According to the press release, some polling stations lacked adequate availability of essential services such as drinking water, toilets, and primary medical care.
The Commission stated that low voter participation was observed, and that because the voting system was not technology-friendly, voters living abroad, as well as those residing in districts other than the one where they are registered, were unable to vote.
The press release also mentioned that some voters complained that, despite possessing voter identity cards, they were unable to vote because their names were not found in the voter list.
The Commission stated that obtaining a mandate through elections—an important exercise of democracy- is a positive aspect from a human rights perspective. Despite the issues mentioned above, the Commission noted that due to high security vigilance and effective management of polling centers, the election was conducted smoothly and peacefully.
The press release stated that from a human rights perspective, the voting process appeared satisfactory. The Commission also expressed gratitude to the Government of Nepal, the Election Commission, security agencies, civil servants, and all voters for their role in successfully conducting the election.
Therefore, the press release issued by Dr. Tikaram Pokharel, Spokesperson and Joint Secretary of the Commission, urged the Government of Nepal and the Election Commission to make elections more technology-friendly, expand voter accessibility, and introduce timely reforms to make the electoral process more human rights–friendly in the future.