As PN went to press, the final results were coming out from the third and final round of voting in the Nepali local elections. These were the first council and mayoral elections to be held in the country in 20 years.
Holding these elections (in new, redefined, provinces) completes an important part of the peace agreement that ended Nepal’s 10-year civil war in 2006. Another success was the demobilisation and partial integration of the Maoist guerrilla army.
However, the human rights section in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has not seen much progress.
On 30 August, Nepalis marked the International Day Against Enforced Disappearance by calling for action on thousands of enforced disappearances during the civil war – including those taken as part of a systematic state policy.
The commission of investigation on enforced disappeared persons, set up two years ago, has so far failed to answer relatives’ questions.
Meanwhile, Nepal continues to suffer from inequality and poverty. The government’s $12.2m aid package for farmers following the devastating August floods is likely to go to rich landowners and not to tenant farmers (who tend not to have the documents needed to make a claim).
The floods killed 160 people, ruined crops and wrecked irrigation systems, and damaged or destroyed over 200,000 homes.
Topics: Nepal