Periodic elections cornerstone of democracy: Nepal Prez Paudel

Kathmandu, Sep 5 (PTI) Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday said that periodic elections are the cornerstone of democracy as he underscored the need to guarantee free, fair and impartial polls.

Paudel made the remarks during his meeting with the representatives from the member countries of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA), who are here for the forum's 12th annual meeting.

The chief election commissioners and officials from India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan were among those present on the occasion.

From India, senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas attended the meeting held at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas.

During the meeting, President Paudel said periodic elections are the cornerstone of democracy and the means of ensuring citizens' access to and ownership of the state.

Speaking as the president of the chair country, Paudel underscored the need to guarantee that each election is free, fair and impartial, according to sources at the Election Commission.

Paudel also expressed hope the conference would enhance impartiality, accountability, and fairness in elections across South Asia.

"I hope that the forum will continue to contribute to promoting and strengthening democracy through free, fair, reliable, and transparent election processes," he said.

Nepal is committed to achieving the organisation's goals and addressing the challenges collectively, Paudel said.

On the occasion, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya briefed the president on the deliberations of the conference.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday inaugurated the two-day conference hosted by the Election Commission of Nepal.

The conference issued a 12-point declaration focusing on improvements to be made in the area of election management in the days to come.

In the declaration, a commitment was made to strengthen the institutional and human capability of election management bodies under the FEMBoSA and to learn from each other's experience and knowledge.

Earlier on Wednesday, Dasho Sonam Tobgay, chief election commissioner of Bhutan handed over the chairmanship of FEMBoSA to the chief election commissioner of Nepal, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya. PTI SBP GRS GRS GRS