Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to incorporate the formal findings of our delegation report.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

The Australian teams' visits resulted in the following observations and conclusions:

1. Registered voters were enthusiastic in their desire to exercise their democratic right to cast their ballots, and that desire was appropriately facilitated by officials and security personnel working in most of the election centres;

2. Security was sufficient for voters to feel confident in attending voting centres even against the atmosphere of threat that parties boycotting the election attempted to instil;

3. Procedures and practices observed by Australian teams provided the expectation of a free, inclusive and transparent election which would lead to a fair and accurate outcome in terms of voters' political preferences.

4. Voter education and provision of voter ID cards (although delayed until the last minute) had enabled voters to basically understand voting procedures and facilitated entry/exit at the polling centres.

… … …

The Australian observer teams and the Australian Parliament congratulate the Election Commission of Nepal, the Chairman and Interim Election Council of Ministers, and the people of Nepal in the carriage of a transparent and fair election which saw a turnout of over 75% of registered voters.