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KATHMANDU, April 8 - With the arrival of former US President Jimmy Carter and his spouse Rosalynn Carter on Monday, Nepal’s April 10 Constituent Assembly election has come in for global attention.

Along with President Carter, Japan’s parliamentarian Gaku Hashimoto, son of former prime minister Riyutaro Hashimoto, has also come to observe Nepal’s election. Hashimoto senior was a close friend of Nepal. Another Japanese parliamentarian, Tadahiko Ito, is also an observer.

In addition to these high-profile observers are 12 members from the European parliament, namely Josep Borrell Fontelles, Csaba Ory, Filip Kaczmarek, Neena Gill, Magor Imre Csibi, Gintaras Didziokas, Luisa Morgantini, Irene Phuong Apker, Patrick NVM Dupont, Pietro Ducci, Xavier Nuttin and Claudine Staub.

Besides, two parliamentarians from Australia — Mark Butler and Dr Andrew Laming— and British members of parliament David Edwards Lea and Dennis Robert Rogan are also election observers.

Election commissioners from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are likewise joining the pool of international election observers.

Nepal-based ambassadors, parliamentarians from different European countries and head of international non-government organizations have likewise assumed the responsibility of observing the CA polls.

According to the Election Commission (EC), US Ambassador Nancy J. Powell, British Ambassador Dr. Andrew Rotely Hall, Malaysian Ambassador Ilankovan Kolandavelu, Thai Ambassador Vanvisa Thamrongnavasawat, Bangladeshi Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmed, Deputy Canadian Ambassador Kenneth McCartney and Sri Lankan Ambassador Amaralal Sumith Nakandala have been accredited as poll observers also. 

Diplomats from the embassies of Finland, France and Norway are also in the list of election observers.

The Carter couple is leading a group of observers under the banner of the US-based Carter Center to monitor the “fairness” of the unprecedented election to the Constituent Assembly. Former President Carter called on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala immediately after he landed in Kathmandu Monday afternoon, before formally leading the Center’s observation mission.

Toshiyuki Niwa, a former deputy executive director of UNICEF and former Resident Coordinator of UNDP in Nepal, is leading a Japanese election observation mission.

According to Dhurba Dhakal, under-secretary at the EC, observer accreditation cards have already been issued to almost all the international dignitary-cum-observers.

Altogether 826 international observers representing 28 international organizations are going to monitor the election, according to the EC.

source: http://www.ekantipur.com/