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Voters are seen lined up to exercise their franchise for the provincial and parliamentary elections at Basantapur polling booth, in Kathmandu, on Thursday, December 7, 2017. Photo: Naresh Shrestha

Kathmandu, Jan 28: Four international organizations will observe the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, 2026, after receiving approval from the Election Commission.

The approved foreign observers are the Carter Center Atlanta, the Asian Network for Free Elections, the International Republican Institute, and the Multidisciplinary Institute of Training and Learning, Massachusetts.

According to its website, the Carter Center Atlanta has observed 128 elections in 40 countries. In Nepal, it monitored the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the 2013 second Constituent Assembly election, and the 2017 House of Representatives election.

It also studied voter registration conditions in Nepal in 2010. During the 2017 election, the Center observed more than 282 polling stations and vote counting centers, covering the process from voting to counting. This time as well, it is observing the overall election environment and procedures.

The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former US President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. Working with Emory University supports peace, democratic governance, human rights, rule of law, transparency, and justice systems worldwide. Its headquarters is in Atlanta, Georgia.

Another observer is the Asian Network for Free Elections, a regional non-governmental organization that promotes free and fair elections across Asia. Established in 1997, it is regarded as the region’s oldest and largest election-related network. Based in Bangkok, it has more than 27-member organizations from countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

The network sends international observer missions to national elections and conducts training and workshops for citizens, voter groups, journalists, and others. In Nepal, it observed the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the 2017 House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections, and the 2022 federal and provincial elections, with a focus on inclusion and participation of women and minorities.

The International Republican Institute, another approved observer, is a US-based non-profit organization founded in 1983 under US policy to promote democracy worldwide. It has observed elections in more than 50 countries and conducts public opinion surveys in Nepal to assess trust and views on democracy.

People’s News Monitoring Service