Nepal: Border crossing with China closed ahead of local elections May 14 /update 2

Event

Chinese officials closed the Rasuwagadhi border crossing with Nepal on Wednesday, May 10. The border crossing will remain closed through Monday, May 15, ahead of the upcoming Nepalese local elections scheduled for May 14 and June 14. Nepalese authorities have also banned most vehicles (including cars, taxis, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, etc.) from traveling on the roads in provinces 3, 4, and 6 during the elections on May 14. The ban will last from 00:00 on Sunday until 00:00 Monday, May 15. Limited exceptions may be granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Protests and counter-protests related to the upcoming elections, which have been ongoing for several weeks, are likely to escalate in the run-up to election day on May 14.

Context

Tensions are running high in Nepal after a clash between Nepalese politicians and the chief justice of the Supreme Court on May 2. The dispute centered around a decision by Chief Justice Sushila Karki to overturn the government's appointment to the position of national police chief. The Supreme Court’s decision led Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, a top official in charge of overseeing election security, to resign from his post on Sunday, April 30. Nidhi's resignation could increase instability in the seven-party majority coalition: two of the main parties filed a motion for impeachment against Karki on April 30, which some have considered an attack on the independence of the judiciary. The Rastriya Prajantatra Party (RPP), the third-largest in the governing majority, is reportedly considering leaving the coalition if the impeachment motion is not withdrawn.

Local government elections, to elect 744 representatives, are scheduled to be held in Nepal in two phases on May 14 and June 14. The first round of elections on May 14 will be held in provinces 3, 4 and 6 and the second round on June 14 will be in provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7. It is mandatory for Nepal to hold three-tier elections - local, provincial, and central - by January 2018 under the 2015 constitution’s provisions.

The elections are the first in the country since 1997 and have proven controversial. Election officials decided to hold them in two phases after the disgruntled ethnic Madhes parties recently agreed to participate in the local body elections. The Madhesi political party, Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), organized a month-long series of protests in response to the government's original February 21 announcement that elections would be held in May and June. Tensions remain high in the country, particularly in the Terai region where there are ongoing protests, general strikes and mass meetings.

Advice

Individuals present in Nepal ahead of and during the elections are advised to remain vigilant, monitor local media, and avoid all political gatherings; violence may flare up without warning. Follow all instructions as issued by authorities, including travel restrictions.