Accountability Watch Committee (AWC) hjfkmb]lxtf lgu/fgL ;ldlt

10 November 2013 President Sushil Pyakurel PRESS STATEMENT Appeal for free, fair and Credible Election Members Dr. Gauri Shankar Lal Das Accountability Watch Committee (AWC) is concerned of credible and fair elections scheduled on 19 November 2013. Although election campaigns have revved up throughout Prof. Kapil Shrestha the country, people are still casting doubts whether the polls would take place in a free and Mandira Sharma fair manner as the UCPN Maoists are heavily involved in violating the Election Code of Conduct and on the other hand fringe parties led by the CPN-Maoists have avowed to Kanak Mani Dixit boycott and disrupt the elections. Subodh Pyakurel Election Commission’s omission and the silence of international community including Charan Prasai different committees as well as groups, formed to observe the elections, on the violation of Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti Code of Conduct have posed further challenges to the elections. Devi Sunuwar The AWC is also deeply concerned about the list of candidates that include people who Hari Phuyal have been accused of getting involved in serious human rights violations and criminal offenses. This will not only provide grounds to question the credibility and integrity of the Durga Sob Constituent Assembly but also institutionalize impunity. The AWC, therefore, calls on the Dipendra Jha concerned political parties and the Election Commission to ensure a robust electoral vetting and prevent the candidates involved in serious human rights violations and criminal Govinda Sharma 'Bandi' offences from contesting the elections or being nominated to the list of proportionate Shobhakar Budhathoki representation. At the same time, the AWC welcomes the decision of the Election Commission to cancel the candidacy of UCPN Maoists candidate Bal Krishna Dhungel, Birendra Thapaliya who was convicted of murder by the Supreme Court. The annex A gives the details of the Suman Adhikari candidates with human rights violation and mismanagement of fund contesting in CA elections.

The AWC also appeals civil society and national as well as international community to play an active role in order to get implemented all the measures of credible and fair elections. Secretariat: Dhobighat, Lalitpur Ph/Fax +977 1 5554115 Sushil Pyakurel Chairperson Email: [email protected]

(NB: Please See annex) Website: www.awcnepal.org

Collective Initiatives for Accountability hjfkmb]lxtfsf] nflu ;fd"lxs cleofg Annex- A: List of the candidates alleged of human rights violation and mismanagement of fund.

SN Name Constituency Case/ allegation 1 Sindhupalchok - 2 Agni Sapkota has been accused of killing (UCPN-Maoists) Arjun Bahadur Lama of Kavre District. Arjun Bahadur Lama was abducted by a group of Maoist cadres on 29 April 2005 and produced before Agni Sapkota, a Central Committee Member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Then on the direct command of Sapkota, other Maoist activists present there killed him in the fourth week of June 2005 and buried his body. An FIR against the five Maoist members including Agni Sapkota has been registered at the Kavre District Police Office on August 11, 2008. But, the accused persons have not been arrested yet. 2 Surya Man Dong Khavre– 1 Surya Man Dong, the CPN-M district (UCPN-Maoists) secretary, is one of the accused persons of Arjun Lama’s murder. 3 Yam BahadurPariyar Chitawan – 1 Yam BahadurPariyar was allegedly (UCPN-Maoists) involved in ChitawnMadi carnage happened on 6 June 2005. In this incident, the Maoist blew up a passenger bus killing 39 and injuring 72 people. 4 Ganesh Lama Khavre – 2 Ganesh Lama, who is known as a (Madheshi Rights ‘gangster’, is accused of amassing property Forum Democratic) disproportionate to his income. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation on May 19 filed a case against Lama at the Special Court on charges of amassing millions of rupees through illegal means. He then served about 2 weeks jail term in this connection and got released from jail on October 4, 2013 on bail. 5 KeshavRai Okhaldhunga - 1 KeshavRai is accused of killing Padam BahadurTamang of Okhaldhunga. Okhaldhunga District Court has issued a summon in his name for the murder of Tamang but his case has remained pending at the court due to the Supreme Court’s stay order to stop the action against him until the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is formed.

Collective Initiatives for Accountability hjfkmb]lxtfsf] nflu ;fd"lxs cleofg