IOM today released an action plan regarding the
political rights of Nepalese internally displaced
persons (IDPs) and refugees. The report can be found
at www.geneseo.edu/~iompress.
The assessment trip and action plan are products of
IOM’s Political Rights and Enfranchisement System
Strengthening Project (PRESS), funded by USAID.
“Maintaining a focus on all the people of Nepal
including those displaced by conflict is essential for
the future stability of Nepal,” said IOM’s Director
General, Brunson McKinley.
Ten years of fighting between the government of Nepal
and Maoist rebels has killed over 13,000 Nepalese and
produced substantial human displacement. Estimates on
the number of IDPs vary between 100,000 and 500,000.
An unknown but potentially even larger number of
persons affected by the conflict have fled to India.
The action plan examines issues associated with
displacement and migration (internal and external) in
the context of the proposed Constituent Assembly
elections which will begin the process of drafting a
new democratic constitution for Nepal.
The IOM report stresses the need for the country’s
political forces to balance the need to keep the
transition moving forward with the recognition that
the Constituent Assembly elections will require
careful planning and a realistic timeline.
An electoral process that disenfranchises significant
social groups would jeopardize the prospect for
sustainable peace in Nepal. The report highlights the
need to begin considering the political and technical
elements of the Constituent Assembly election process
early so those displaced by the conflict can
participate in this and future elections.
In order for elections to occur in a manner that is
inclusive, free and fair, all stakeholders must
address the following issues: transition and
ceasefire; citizenship; registration and
documentation; electoral formula; redistricting of
administrative boundaries and zones; census; voter
registration and balloting for IDPs and migrants; and
the possibility of external voting.
Since 1996, IOM has supported the enfranchisement of
migrants in over 74 countries through out-of country
voting programmes for Bosnia and Herzegovina, East
Timor, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
The action plan and information on IOM’s PRESS Project
can be found on the PRESS website:
www.geneseo.edu/~iompress
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