DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD | Giving citizens a voice
16 April 2008
ELECTIONS UPDATE
A brief summary of recent elections around the world
April 10: Nepal Elects Constituent Assembly
The United States government congratulated the people of Nepal on their historic Constituent Assembly election on April 10.
This election might mark the end of a long period of turmoil in Nepal. In 1996 the Communist Maoist party began a 10-year civil war that killed 12,000 people. On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Diprenda killed his parents and other members of the royal family before committing suicide. The King’s brother, Gyanendra, subsequently assumed the throne and dismissed the democratic assembly, assuming full control of the country’s affairs.
In April 2006, under an interim constitution, Nepal established a temporary House of Representatives that included former Maoist rebel insurgents and increased the number of parliamentary seats to 330. In December 2007, a bill was drafted with the intention of making Nepal a federal republic in which the prime minister would be the head of state. Passage of the bill will be the first priority of the just-elected Constituent Assembly.
The Maoist Communist party is reported to have won 114 of 207 directly electable seats. The previous majority party, the Nepali Congress Party, reportedly won only 30 seats. The United States believes that voters were able to cast their ballots peacefully in most districts despite considerable violence and intimidation during the pre-election period, and some instances of voting irregularities on Election Day.
For more information, see “Statement on Nepal’s Constituent Assembly Election” and “Nepali Actors Set Scene for Upcoming Elections.”
March 29: Run-up to Zimbabwe’s Election Marred by Irregularities
Actions of President Robert Mugabe’s government likely will preclude free and fair elections in Zimbabwe on March 29, according to a number of independent watchdog organizations, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch.
Mugabe, 84, is seeking a sixth consecutive term as president of the African nation.
The United States has called on the government of Zimbabwe “to take concrete action to address these significant shortcomings, including respecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Zimbabwean people.”
“Independent organizations report extensive pre-election irregularities, such as inaccurate voter rolls; violence and intimidation of competing political parties and civil society; overproduction of postal ballots for policy, military, diplomats and electoral officials, and absence of independent observation of the counting of postal votes to prevent multiple voting; inadequate polling stations in urban areas; bias against the opposition in the government-controlled media; permission for police to be present inside polling stations in breach of the recent SADC-brokered agreement; and politicized distribution of government-controlled food, and other benefits and government resources,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement issued March 25.
For more information, see “‘Extensive’ Irregularities Reported Ahead of Zimbabwe Elections.”
See also the State Department statement on the Zimbabwean Elections.
The full text of Human Rights Watch report on Zimbabwe is available on the organization’s Web site.
March 24: Bhutan Makes Progress in Developing Democracy
Citizens of the Kingdom of Bhutan elected representatives to the Lower House of Parliament on March 24, marking another step in a shift to democracy for the century-old monarchy ruled by the Wangchuck dynasty. The new prime minister, Jigmi Kinley, is an experienced government worker who served as premiere twice before. His party, the Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, won an overwhelming majority of Parliament: 44 out of 47 seats.
Bhutan, a mountainous remote country known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” has little contact with the outside world. King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck is very popular with the people, and many of its citizens were reportedly reluctant to change their political system.
The United States government believes that this event, which builds upon the historic and peaceful elections for the Upper House of Parliament in December 2007, marks another positive step in Bhutan’s transition to a democratic, constitutional monarchy. The government includes a chief justice, who is head of the judicial system. The king is still the head of state. There is one opposition party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) headed bySangay Ngedup.
See also the full text of the U.S. statement congratulating the people of Bhutan.
March 22: Taiwan Again Demonstrates Strength and Vitality of Its Democracy
The United States congratulates Ma Ying-jeou on his victory in the March 22 elections on Taiwan. "Taiwan," President Bush said, "is a beacon of democracy to Asia and the world. I am confident that the election and the democratic process it represents will advance Taiwan as a prosperous, secure, and well-governed society."
The United States believes this election provides a fresh opportunity for Taiwan and Beijing to reach out and engage one another in peacefully resolving their differences by pursuing dialogue through all available means and refraining from unilateral steps that would alter the cross-Taiwan Strait situation.
A strong and moderate Taiwan is essential to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, President Bush said. “We will continue to maintain close unofficial ties with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan in accordance with our long-standing one-China policy, our three Joint Communiqués with the People's Republic of China, and the Taiwan Relations Act.”
See also “President Bush Congratulates Taiwan on Presidential Elections,” the U.S. statement on Taiwan’s presidential election and “U.S. Supports Strong, Moderate Taiwan, State's Christensen Says.”
