Former US President Jimmy Carter said that the constituent assembly election in Nepal - on Thursday - would end armed conflict and establish a new republic in the country. "I see this
election as doing two things basically: one is ending an armed conflict, and secondly forming a new republic with an end to the dominating royalty," Carter said during an exclusive interview with the Post and its sister paper, Kantipur here on Tuesday. "We are very excited about the prospects of this country finding peace and also finding democracy based on republic. It is a very wonderful achievemenटी।"President Carter who arrived here on Monday said that he had visited only Nepal visited three times for one election. Earlier he had visited in June and November, 2006. Carter Center - the organization he founded along with his wife Rosalynn in 1982 - has already observed 70 elections in various countries. Carter sees this election as an opening for marginalized groups, who could have a genuine role in determining their own future, and win the opportunity to play a more important role in society.When asked for his assessment of the situation two days before the election, he said, "I think the compromise reached with the (42) percent and (58) percent [for the first past the post and proportional electoral systems] is certainly satisfactory with the international observers."Sharing brief details of his meeting with top leaders of three major parties - Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) - Carter smilingly said that each one was quite certain that they would win a majority. When asked whether he saw any challenges vis-à-vis the election, he said that maintaining unanimous and peaceful relationships among all constituencies was a great challenge. "I pray that all the process will be peaceful…but there are intense feelings especially because of the 10 years of warfare, and it's difficult to forget about all those and to decide who will lead this nation in future."There is still intense feeling of incompatibility, he added. Two other major challenges, the ex-president said, were an outbreak of local level conflict, and high expectations of all three major parties. Although he said Nepal's experience was not unique in terms of election in a post-conflict country, he observed that the compromise that has been reached is very complex and much mor
e complicated than most elections. When asked how he planned to observe the election, he said he and his wife work as a team and will remain in the capital city and visit as many polling centers as possible. "And if they (62 Carter Center's staff spread throughout the country) report a serious problem in eastern or western parts of this country or in the southern part, the Carter Center will go to the Election Commission to report the problem we have heard and we will try to resolve it."The ex-president was all praise for the EC in Nepal, terming it free and wonderful. He said it was unlike dishonest ones in some countries where they are bedfellows with the ruling party and help it steal an election. Responding to the Maoist threat of forced takeover if they lose the elections, Carter said the Maoists had told him they would accept the results. He, however, added that no party could accept the results if elections are fraudulent. "But that's why international and domestic observers are here. My own personal honor and reputation is at stake. I wouldn't lie about an election in Nepal and I think people from the EU and other places have come here in good faith and we will tell the truth."Carter believed the CPN (Maoist) would honor their pledge to embrace multi-party competitive politics. "It seems to me in the last year or so the Maoists have proven that they can accommodate themselves in competitive politics." I think that's their primary desire. But he added: "I don't know enough about the Young Communist League, if they will accept a disappointing result. I hope they will."When asked to compare the situation in Nepal and Nicaragua where the ex-rebels joined electoral politics after civil war, Carter said it was important to convince the rebels not to go back to war. "Sand
inista (former rebels in Nicaragua) lost three elections and won the fourth because they participated in the opposition."Carter was very critical of the US government's policy toward the CPN (Maoist). "When the Maoists laid their arms within cantonments and joined the government, in my opinion, our government should have recognized them as legitimate political party and dealt with them as other nations did."The president added that it would have beneficial impact on relationships here and said he believed that the Maoists would have been "very protective of a working relationship with the US government if it existed." He criticized the Bush administration's policy in Nepal and likened it to his government's dual stance of accepting the participation of Hamas in Palestinian elections and then refusing to recognize the group after it won the elections. "It is counter productive for us to refuse to talk to and negotiate with people with whom we have disagreement." The president had highest accolades for what people in Nepal had achieved, setting an example to the whole world. "I think this is unprecedented incorporation of previously excluded groups. It's a wonderful example. I don't know of another example in the world where this profound change has taken place to bring in previously excluded groups. And if it works it will be a notable contribution to international politics."
election as doing two things basically: one is ending an armed conflict, and secondly forming a new republic with an end to the dominating royalty," Carter said during an exclusive interview with the Post and its sister paper, Kantipur here on Tuesday. "We are very excited about the prospects of this country finding peace and also finding democracy based on republic. It is a very wonderful achievemenटी।"President Carter who arrived here on Monday said that he had visited only Nepal visited three times for one election. Earlier he had visited in June and November, 2006. Carter Center - the organization he founded along with his wife Rosalynn in 1982 - has already observed 70 elections in various countries. Carter sees this election as an opening for marginalized groups, who could have a genuine role in determining their own future, and win the opportunity to play a more important role in society.When asked for his assessment of the situation two days before the election, he said, "I think the compromise reached with the (42) percent and (58) percent [for the first past the post and proportional electoral systems] is certainly satisfactory with the international observers."Sharing brief details of his meeting with top leaders of three major parties - Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) - Carter smilingly said that each one was quite certain that they would win a majority. When asked whether he saw any challenges vis-à-vis the election, he said that maintaining unanimous and peaceful relationships among all constituencies was a great challenge. "I pray that all the process will be peaceful…but there are intense feelings especially because of the 10 years of warfare, and it's difficult to forget about all those and to decide who will lead this nation in future."There is still intense feeling of incompatibility, he added. Two other major challenges, the ex-president said, were an outbreak of local level conflict, and high expectations of all three major parties. Although he said Nepal's experience was not unique in terms of election in a post-conflict country, he observed that the compromise that has been reached is very complex and much mor
e complicated than most elections. When asked how he planned to observe the election, he said he and his wife work as a team and will remain in the capital city and visit as many polling centers as possible. "And if they (62 Carter Center's staff spread throughout the country) report a serious problem in eastern or western parts of this country or in the southern part, the Carter Center will go to the Election Commission to report the problem we have heard and we will try to resolve it."The ex-president was all praise for the EC in Nepal, terming it free and wonderful. He said it was unlike dishonest ones in some countries where they are bedfellows with the ruling party and help it steal an election. Responding to the Maoist threat of forced takeover if they lose the elections, Carter said the Maoists had told him they would accept the results. He, however, added that no party could accept the results if elections are fraudulent. "But that's why international and domestic observers are here. My own personal honor and reputation is at stake. I wouldn't lie about an election in Nepal and I think people from the EU and other places have come here in good faith and we will tell the truth."Carter believed the CPN (Maoist) would honor their pledge to embrace multi-party competitive politics. "It seems to me in the last year or so the Maoists have proven that they can accommodate themselves in competitive politics." I think that's their primary desire. But he added: "I don't know enough about the Young Communist League, if they will accept a disappointing result. I hope they will."When asked to compare the situation in Nepal and Nicaragua where the ex-rebels joined electoral politics after civil war, Carter said it was important to convince the rebels not to go back to war. "Sand
inista (former rebels in Nicaragua) lost three elections and won the fourth because they participated in the opposition."Carter was very critical of the US government's policy toward the CPN (Maoist). "When the Maoists laid their arms within cantonments and joined the government, in my opinion, our government should have recognized them as legitimate political party and dealt with them as other nations did."The president added that it would have beneficial impact on relationships here and said he believed that the Maoists would have been "very protective of a working relationship with the US government if it existed." He criticized the Bush administration's policy in Nepal and likened it to his government's dual stance of accepting the participation of Hamas in Palestinian elections and then refusing to recognize the group after it won the elections. "It is counter productive for us to refuse to talk to and negotiate with people with whom we have disagreement." The president had highest accolades for what people in Nepal had achieved, setting an example to the whole world. "I think this is unprecedented incorporation of previously excluded groups. It's a wonderful example. I don't know of another example in the world where this profound change has taken place to bring in previously excluded groups. And if it works it will be a notable contribution to international politics."
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