The government has slammed the European Union’s Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) for making what it calls unwarranted comments about political issues that have already been settled and challenging the provisions of the Constitution of Nepal. Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also asked all the concerned to refrain from making such uncalled-for comments.
The Foreign Ministry in the statement said the recommendations and comments of the report not only undermined the successful holding of smooth, peaceful and impartial elections but also went against the scope and norms of international election observation. This violates the Election Code of Conduct for International Observers of the Election Commission of Nepal as well as the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the government of Nepal and the European Union before the elections, the government added.
"These recommendations and comments are a direct challenge to the provisions of the Constitution of Nepal which was promulgated, in line with the inclusive policy reflective of Nepali social structure, by the sovereign decision of Nepali people. It is unfortunate that the report has made unwarranted comments about political issues that have already been settled. The Government of Nepal calls upon all the concerned to refrain from making such uncalled-for comments," the government underscored in the press release.
The EUEOM in its final report on the recent House of Representatives (HoR) and provincial assembly elections stated that the Proportional Representation (PR) system has the consequence of enhancing the participation of the Khas Arya in the legislature. "This contravenes international standards on equality. Affirmative action measures should not be used to justify a system which has the impact of aggravating ethnic and gender inequality," it opined
It also recommended Nepal to review the impact of the quota system on the ethnic composition of the HoR and provincial assemblies. "Remove the Khas Arya from the groups included. Ensure that measures of affirmative action apply only to groups which are the subject of negative discrimination," it added.
