New York: The United Nations has asked the Nepalese government, security forces, political parties and electoral officials to make all efforts to stem resurgence of violence which could affect holding of free and fair polls next month.
The world body monitoring team noted a improvement in security and inclusiveness as the country heads towards the election but warned against fresh violence which could mar the April 10 elections.
The statement by the team came after its fourth visit to Nepal to assess the electoral process. "Every effort should be made to guarantee that the current positive conditions prevail not only before and on election day, but also during the counting and announcement of results," the five-member team, appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and led by Rafael Lopez-Pintor, said.
Meanwhile, the UN mission in Nepal, which helps monitor human rights in the country, expressed "deep concern" over the killing of Rastriya Jana Morcha candidate, Kamal Adhikari, last evening in the mid-west region.
"Violence and threats against candidates represents a serious obstacle to the creation of a free and fair atmosphere for the election, and all efforts must be made to bring those responsible to justice," the mission said in a statement made available here.
UNMIN said its officers in the region, along with staff of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), would continue to work in support of an atmosphere conducive for a credible poll.
