Brief about GEOC
General Election Observation Committee, Nepal and Election Observation
Objectives of the Network
The General Election Observation Committee (GEOC), Nepal was established with the objective of observing elections. Observations help in the conduct of free, fair and peaceful elections and help ensure it is credible and legitimate. It is an alliance of ten different organizations. The GEOC independently observes whether the election being conducted by ECN is held in free, fair and peaceful manner. Effective observation ensures that elections are credible. It observes the various election programs and processes that are followed by the ECN, in three phases – pre election, election -day and vote counting. It makes its observation report public.
In the past, the GEOC has observed the local elections of 1993 and 1999; parliamentary elections of 1992, 1995 and 2000; as well as the Constituent Assembly elections of 2008 and 2013 as well as by election of 2014. After the promulgation of new constitution, it also observed the local level elections held in three phases in 2017. Likewise, it observed the elections for the members of House of Representatives and the Provincial Assemblies. Following each election observation, the GEOC submits its report and recommendations to the ECN and also makes them public.
Structure of the Network
The GEOC network includes ten organizations involved in various sectors. They are: Nepal Citizens’ Forum; Nepal Law Society; Ex-Employees Service Council, Nepal; Helpless Service Center; Nepal Press Institute; Rural Development Foundation; Nepal Civil Society; Madhesi Civil Society; Independent Forum; and Media Advocacy Group. The GEOC is a non-political network and it mobilizes independent intellectuals, professors, lawyers, former officials, social activists, human rights activists, and senior journalists in its observation. Through its members, the GEOC has been carrying out various programs in all districts of the country.
Responsibility of the Network
The GEOC has shouldered the responsibility to carry out its observation of the elections of members of House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies by mobilizing independent, impartial and neutral observers. In order to fulfil its responsibility, the GEOC has been running its Secretariat to support the observation work. The Secretariat, in coordination with the members, chooses the national, district, election constituency, village and municipal level observers. Likewise, after the observation, the GEOC submits its report to the stakeholders like ECN, political parties and concerned agencies. It makes its report public before, during and after elections by holding press conference.
Code of Conduct for Observers and their Responsibility
In order to manage and facilitate the election observers, the ECN has issued Election Observation Code of Conduct and Election Observation Guidelines for the national observers. As per the code of conduct, the observer organizations, upon receiving due permission from the ECN, can engage in independent observation. It is the duty of the observers to inform the ECN and its staffs about any information that they gather in course of observation. The GEOC, in accordance with the code of conduct, prepares questionnaires based on which it gathers information about the role and duty of stakeholders like political parties, workers, candidates, voters as well as election staffs. Based on the information, the observers prepare their report. Likewise, the observers also provide their recommendations for further improving the election management in future.
Secretariat of the Network
With the purpose of carrying out day to day activities and other necessary support for the election observation, the GEOC set up its Secretariat at the office of the Nepal Law Society in Babarmahal, Kathmandu. There is a National Observation Council to coordinate the observation and recruit necessary human resources. An executive committee headed by Mr. Himalaya Shamsher Rana is formed by including representatives from all member organizations.
Observation Program and Coordination during 2017 Elections
Before election, the GEOC set up a Secretariat for the management of human, physical and financial resources; determined the number of Village Palika and Municipalities for observation; recruited and trained the observers. In this period, the GEOC observed the activities of the political parties, enforcement of election code of conduct, security situation and political violence. A preliminary report was prepared on the election atmosphere and made public through press conference. Likewise, another press conference was organized on the eve of the election days to inform about the observation information collected by the observers from the districts and villages.
On the day of the election, the observers were deployed to collect information based on questionnaire. On that day the Secretariat also sought information on the situation of election from the observers. By compiling the information received from the observers from the districts and also the field reports from the national observers, a report was made public by holding press conference.
After the election, observation was made of the vote counting centers, vote counting process, participation of representatives of political parties, updated information of vote counting and declaration of election results. During this period, discussions were also held with the ECN and other stakeholders regarding complaints at the commission, disputes seen at political level and declaration of results.
The preliminary report of the observation has already been submitted to the Election Commission. In the final report of the observation, recommendations to improve future elections are also included on the basis of analysis of all the processes of election. The GEOC makes its final report public amid a function.
Organization Contact Details
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Organization |
Contact Details |
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Nepal Law Society Babarmahal, Kathmandu |
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2. |
Citizen Forum of Nepal (Nepal Citizen's Forum) Maitighar, Kathmandu |
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3. |
Council of Former Public Servants Sankhamul, Jagatnarayan Mandir, Lalitpur |
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4. |
Service for Unprivileged Section of Society, Putalisadak, Kathmandu |
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5. |
Nepal Press Institute (NPI) P.O. Box 4128, Kathmandu, Nepal |
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6. |
Rural Development Foundation (RDF), Babarmahal, Kathmandu |
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7. |
Nepal Civil Society, Sinamangal, Kathmandu, Nepal |
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8. |
Madhesi Civil Society, New Baneshwor, Kathmandu Nepal |
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9. |
Freedom Forum |
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10. |
Media Advocacy Group (MAG) Post Box No 897, Thapathali, Babarmahal, Kathmandu |
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