ANFREL released the interim report of its observation of the 2022 Nepal elections, took in 10 journalists from Asia as media fellows, and welcomed new team members during the last quarter of 2022.

Four teams of international election observers were deployed in Nepal for 10 days to monitor electoral processes. Nepal held its Federal and Provincial Elections on 20 November 2022 of which ANFREL initially observed as largely peaceful and orderly.

For the second round of the ANFREL media fellowship program on reporting elections, meanwhile, 10 journalists from different countries in Asia have been taking part in a series of training sessions since October 2022. The program also provides the fellows mentoring with editorial and financial support for election-related stories.

At the beginning of 2023, ANFREL welcomed its new program officer for capacity building, Ain Nesiehah from Malaysia, who will be working on training programs and workshops for ANFREL members and civil society partners. ANFREL also welcomed its new intern, Trevor Orginski, a graduate student at the University of Michigan.

Other notable updates include the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of ANFREL member in Singapore, MARUAH. Prof. Kapil Shrestha, the chairperson of NEOC, ANFREL's member in Nepal, was awarded by the Human Rights Award by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for his work on protecting and promoting human rights in Nepal and beyond.

To know more about ANFREL news and updates in the last quarter of 2022, visit ANFREL Newsletter e-Bulletin (October-December 2022).