The Carter Center under its program “Peace with Justice” is engaging in different parts of the world. The center emphasis that peace with justice requires resolving conflict according to rules agreed to by all, beginning with the shared commitment to human rights and democratic values.
Today, no government in the world denies sharing this belief. However, in practice there are still many governments operating in many countries with wide gap between the rhetoric and realities. Keeping the legacy of the center it is sending a two-member team to Nepal early January to begin monitoring of preparations for elections to the proposed Constituent Assembly.
According to Director of Democracy Program at the Center, Dr David Carroll the Center is sending a team led by senior representative Darren Nance. The team comprises with Sarah Levit-Shore, an assistant coordinator for the Center's Nepal program. This team is supposed to monitor the election preparations and provide recommendations as appropriate to key electoral actors in Nepal.
The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former US President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The center that has monitored elections in 61 countries worldwide. The center is the only international institution invited in Nepal both by the government and the Maoists for observing the proposed CA polls which will be held by mid-June, 2007. It has accepted the invitation and confirmed its involvement in observing the forthcoming CA polls.
The Center is planning to send long-term observers (LTO) to Nepal 'roughly" five months in advance of the elections. LTO will monitor the election environment in the districts and help build confidence in the democratic process. The LTO will comprise of individuals with expertise in the field of elections, human rights, and conflict and security issues. Besides, they will be individuals familiar with Nepal's history and politics.
Some of the elections in the different countries previously monitored by the center were criticized not free and fair. The center therefore has a lot of criticism in its monitoring efforts. Many skeptics have argued that the Carter Center has become an institution to issue a license to many dictators as democratically elected leaders.
Mostly in young democracies and the countries ruled by dictators it is very hard to monitor the elections. Regarding Nepal however, the situation will be different because the center seems aware of shortcomings. It is hoped the LTO will minimize the inaccuracy of free and fair election.
