Election Bandh

A gagged women questions the degree to which freedom of speech is a reality in Nepal.

A day-long meeting (on 4th October) of the seven political parties informally agreed to “suspend all the election processes” till the special session of the interim parliament called by the CPN-Maoist. It is likely that the seven parties will request that the Election Commission (EC) suspend all the election programmes till the special session of the parliament, which may defer the election by a few more months. On September 30, the EC delayed the date of filing nomination of candidates for the proportional representation system by five days, and the date of filing the nomination of candidates for the first-past-the-post system by three days on the parties’ request. The Maoist and the Nepali Congress leaders proposed to suspend the entire election process, as both the parties remained in disagreement on the issues of a republic and the precise character of the election process (see earlier blogs). As a result, the legitimacy of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), the government and the parliament remain precarious.

As the democratic process initiated by the Jana Andolan 11 unwinds, (and as a potential precursor of things to come), 13 people were injured in clashes between activists and locals in Jhapa district (Eastern Nepal), while life in several districts of the country was disrupted due to the week-long bandh (strike) called by the Ganatantrik Rastriya Mukti Morcha (National Republican Liberation Front, GRMM), an umbrella organisation of over a dozen groups. In addition, the Goit faction of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (Democratic Terai Liberation Front, JTMM), an armed group which splintered from the Maoists, has also announced a three-day bandh from today, while the Visfot Singh faction of the JTMM (also splintered from the Maoists), announced a 15-day bandh starting yesterday, and the Tharu Rastriya Morcha announced an indefinite bandh starting yesterday, affecting nine districts.