Chapter 15

Summary

A significant development that helped to create a positive atmosphere for the June elections was the formal entry of a world body—the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)—into the Nepalese politico-electoral arena. The UNMIN was established on 23 January 2007, by Security Council Resolution 1740, with its main focus being to help conduct the Constituent Assembly election in a free and fair manner.

The UNMIN established a tangible presence by setting up an Electoral Assistance Office in Bahadur Bhavan. Fida Nasrullah, a middle-aged Lebanese woman, was appointed Chief Technical Adviser. The arrival of more international election experts in Kathmandu helped spread a galvanic election atmosphere throughout the country. This atmosphere was further enhanced when the UN started monitoring the weaponry of the Maoist rebels and their army personnel. This was crucial to ensure the election met international norms.

In March 2007, the UNMIN reported over 31,000 Maoist army personnel, who were placed in 28 cantonment sites under the supervision of unarmed UNMIN monitors. A total of 3,475 Maoist weapons were stored in seven main cantonment sites, under round-the-clock guard. The following month, the UNMIN registered and stored 2,855 Nepal Army weapons, again under 24 hour guard, as agreed by the peace pact.

The Chief decided to team up the newly-arrived UN international advisors to the Commission with his domestic staff in an attempt to bolster the capacity of the local operatives. It was hoped this collaboration would help achieve the common goal, of a successful election.