The Carter Center has launched an international election observation mission for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly election on 19 November at the invitation of Interim Election Council Chairman Khil Raj Regmi and the Election Commission of Nepal and the political parties.

The Center observed Nepal’s 2008 Constituent Assembly election and has remained present conducting long-term political and constitutional monitoring to June 2013.

“The Carter Center hopes that this election observation mission will reassure the Nepalese people that their efforts to draft a new constitution can succeed. Competitive and peaceful elections for a new constituent assembly are the best chance for Nepal to get back on the path to democracy and development,” said Carter Center Democracy Program Associate Director David Pottie.

This week the Center deployed 12 long-term observers across Nepal, placing teams in the five development regions and a roaming team in the Terai region, to gain firsthand knowledge of the activities of the election commission, political parties, civil society organizations, and
the international community, as well as other citizen and international election observation missions. These 12 observers, representing eight countries, will be joined by an additional 40 short-term observers shortly before the elections.