Polls in Nepal under threat warns Swiss expert

Protests by ethnic Madhesi in southern Nepal turned violent

Nepal lacks the security and ethnic equality needed for free and fair elections to take place, a Swiss special adviser for peace building tells swissinfo.

Günther Bächler says it will not be possible for the country to go to the polls in mid-June as planned unless the authorities can guarantee a more stable political environment.

The warning comes a week after 28 people were killed and more than 40 others injured in clashes between former Maoist rebels and the Madhesi ethnic group in the south.

The Special Advisor for Peace Building in Nepal says the terms of a peace accord signed in November last year, in a bid to end the ten-year insurgency, have not yet been met.

But the human rights situation in Nepal has also seen some progress, according to Bächler.

swissinfo: How did last week’s massacre in Gaur affect the peace process?

Günther Bächler: First I would like to stress the positive side as the peace process has been very successful as far as ending the armed conflict is concerned.

However, the problem is that the agreement between the Maoists and the political parties did not include other actors. The discussions have not been open to other ethnic groups.

The incident in the south of the country was triggered by exactly that problem.

swissinfo: Do you think the peace process is right on track?

G.B.: It is certainly going into the right direction as the political parties are negotiating but I’m concerned that the parties are so busy with forming a government that they ignore what is going on in the country.

I think the latest riots are a signal that many actors are trying to either be part of the peace process or destroy it. The various ethnic groups are fighting to be heard. Other groups, such as the Royalists or Hindu fundamentalists, are seeking to derail the peace process.

swissinfo: Has the recent bout of violence in the south made Switzerland rethink its aid in Nepal?

G.B.: For development cooperation the situation has improved and our work has been facilitated. So there is no need to reduce our aid.

This incident was an isolated one and it did not affect the whole country. We must not forget that the human rights situation in Nepal has improved tremendously in the past few months. Life for women and children is a lot easier now.

swissinfo: Is there a chance that general elections could happen in June, as scheduled?

G.B.: I think there is no way elections can be held in June. Many bills have to be passed and nothing is really in place despite the good work the United Nations has done.

There is no election campaign or fair competition among parties in the districts. The Maoists still do not allow political activities of other parties, so the notion of free and fair elections is just not there.

swissinfo: How has the signing of the peace accord changed your job?

G.B.: I try to make a difference at a very informal level together with the peace secretariat of the government. We had four informal rounds of talks with the seven-party alliance, the Maoists, the Madhesi Forum, the Indigenous Nationalities and the Untouchables.

We made some progress as all groups voiced their interests and needs but after two sessions the Maoists did not show up anymore because they were attacked by ethnic Madhesis. The talks are on hold now.

swissinfo: Switzerland has always been a role model for Nepal. Do you think Nepal could ever have a federal system like Switzerland?

G.B.: No, but Nepal can learn a lot from Switzerland and we can also learn from Nepal. Nepal has 101 different ethnic groups, 50 spoken languages and the country still has a monarchy.

The Swiss model is relatively simple compared with Nepal. Democracy and federalism go hand in hand and that is where I have my doubts. Nepal is still far from being a democratic state.

swissinfo-interview: Billi Bierling in Kathmandu

Key facts

Population of Nepal: 26.3 million.
The Maoist rebels were fighting to abolish the monarchy for ten years. The insurgency left more than 13,000 people dead.
In November last year the seven-party-alliance and the Maoist rebels signed a peace accord paving the way for general elections, which are scheduled for June 2007.
The peace process has been hampered by several uprisings in the south of the country, where the Madhesi ethnic group representing about 40% of the population is fighting for greater rights under the country’s new constitution.

In brief

Nepal is a priority country for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The agency in Nepal works mainly in rural areas, which are at least partially controlled by the Maoist rebels.

The SDC is active in rural infrastructure development, building suspension bridges and roads.

It is also involved in activities linked to the conflict such as human rights initiatives, both nationally and at local level.

Günther Bächler has worked in Nepal as a peace adviser since May 2005.

Water project in Nepal

On World Water Day (March 22), Swiss Re said it was donating SFr1 million ($820,000) to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for a project in northwest Nepal.

The aim is to restore clean and sanitary water supply to the rural population in the region.

Swiss Re said it was supporting the project because access to clean water would have a sustainable impact and benefit substantial parts of the population.

The reinsurance company is a founding member of the ICRC’s corporate support group, established in 2005.