The Election Commission has decided to give observational status to 44 organizations, ten thousand individuals in total, that have met the criteria for the upcoming local level elections. Observers, however, will not be allowed to monitor the election at the local level where they are registered voters; they will be delegated elsewhere.
The commission has allowed them to monitor the entire election process - from the nomination of candidates to the publication of results. Observers must submit a report to the Election Commission within the stipulated time after the election.
There is a legal provision for the Election Commission to allow national and international organizations to observe elections in Nepal. There is a worldwide practice of granting observational status to neutral organizations and parties for ensuring that elections are conducted peacefully.
In Nepal, the Election Commission has set some criteria for becoming observers. Institutions wishing to observe elections should be directly involved with good governance, elections, democracy, human rights and peace promotion. Observers should also be mobilized inclusively.
Institutions or individuals convicted of election offenses and violations of the Code of Conduct are not permitted to observe.
Observers will have to observe 50 polling stations in at least one state in the local level elections. The observer's license will be revoked if they are found to violate the law or work against the Code of Conduct. An organization cannot deploy more than one observer in a polling station as well.
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