The General Elections Observation Committee (GEOC) in Nepal released the final report of their observation mission to the 13 May 2022 local elections.

GEOC, a network of 11 organizations, said there was “appropriate management” of polling areas with separate queues for men and women and support facilities for persons with disabilities which made voting “simple and voter-friendly.”

GEOC also said the chief election officers and returning officers took on a proactive approach against breaches of the election code of conduct. Posters, flags and other election materials were removed on Election Day.

The 2022 local polls saw an increase in the number of women who contested certain positions, said GEOC. Of the 35,221 positions contested in the elections, 14,445 women were elected including 24 mayor/chairperson, 567 deputy mayor/vice chairperson, 69 ward chairperson, 442 members, 6,732 elected in reserved positions for women members and 6,610 elected in reserved positions for Dalit women members.

GEOC, in an earlier statement, said the local elections were largely peaceful and successful apart from sporadic incidents. GEOC deployed 400 national and district level observers, including 70 long-term observers and 330 short-term observers, in 32 districts who monitored pre-, Election Day, and post-election activities.

Based on their observations and review of relevant materials and resources, GEOC presented recommendations to the Election Commission of Nepal, the government, and political parties to further consolidate the democratization in the country.

Read the executive summary and full report here: