Kathmandu – It was stated in a discussion program held on Sunday that the House of Representatives Member Election 2082 was not gender-, disability-, and inclusion-friendly. During the event organized to make public the preliminary election observation report prepared by 15 different non-governmental organizations under the leadership of the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), it was said, “The work was not carried out according to the guidelines prepared by the Election Commission, and it is necessary to conduct further analysis of the polling stations.”

At the discussion program with journalists regarding the preliminary report of election observation from a gender, disability, and inclusion perspective in the House of Representatives Member Election 2082, FWLD advocate Sagar Pathak presented the report. He stated, “The report has been prepared by observing the pre-voting situation of polling stations, the voting process, and the vote-counting stage using the J-C method. This work was carried out in collaboration with 15 non-governmental organizations under the leadership of FWLD.”

Pathak informed that the report was prepared through direct observation of 160 booths in 24 districts across the seven provinces. He said there was a lack of adequate preparation time because approval from the Election Commission for observation was received late. Nevertheless, the program stated that 160 observers were trained and deployed to polling centers across all seven provinces.

FWLD Executive Director and advocate Sabin Shrestha stated that polling stations had not been prepared according to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission. He said, “We did not find polling stations that met the minimum standards. Since polling stations themselves lacked sufficient information, it is necessary to conduct detailed analysis of polling centers in the future.”

Shrestha further explained that although most polling stations had separate queues for men and women, other voters were largely ignored. He also noted the absence of first aid facilities, drinking water, breastfeeding rooms, rest areas, disability-friendly infrastructure, and proper exit arrangements for elderly and physically weak voters after voting.

During the program, senior advocate Meera Dhungana shared her experience from the observation. She said that although the polling stations appeared somewhat women-friendly, adequate attention had not been given to the exit routes after voting.

Tewa, an organization that collaborated in the observation, monitored 12 booths across six districts. According to Jyoti rana from the organization, observers found disorganized voter queues, discriminatory behavior toward women police personnel involved in the election process, and rude conduct from polling officers.

Similarly, Bindra Maharjan from the Campaign for Peace organization said that more importance was given to international observers than to Nepali observers. Likewise, Susmita Shrestha, President of the Women with Disabilities Association, stated that polling stations were not disability-friendly.

Photographs taken during the observation were also displayed in an exhibition at the program. The photos showed the construction of polling stations, the voting process in progress, and the vote-counting procedures.