Municipal Elections in Nepal Condemned by US, Japan, UK, and India
12 February 2006

Official statements by the governments of the US, Japan, UK, and India condemned the February 8, 2006 municipal elections in Nepal as meaningless.  They noted that turnout in the elections was exceptionally low, as many political parties refused to participate.  The US State Department called the elections as “a hollow attempt to legitimize [the King’s] power.”

The foreign ministries of all four nations commented that in order to move forward, the King must reach out to all political parties.  Such a move is necessary, they state, to achieve a legitimate and peaceful resolution to the situation in Nepal.