Democracy Resource Center Nepal has prepared this preliminary report based on the observation by 70 observers at 54 local levels across seven provinces. This report covers pre-election activities, the voting process, and post-election activities.

One major feature of the new constitution promulgated in September 2015 was the restructuring of Nepal’s local government, including the devolution of power to newly created provinces and local units. After much deliberations and contestations, the constitutionally mandated Local Level Restructuring Commission finalized 743 local units. On February 20, 2017, the Government of Nepal announced the local elections for May 14, 2017, which were later broken into three phases due to political reasons. The first phase elections in provinces without Tarai districts (Provinces 3, 4, and 6) were held on May 14, and the second phase elections in the rest of the provinces except province 2 were held on June 28. The province 2 elections across eight Tarai districts were held on September 18. Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) observed all three phases of the local elections conducted for the first time in nearly twenty years, and the first one under the new constitution and new local structures.

On September 18, 2017, the third and final phase of local elections was held in Province 2 consisting of eight Tarai districts. Voters in newly formed local units turned out in impressive numbers to elect new representatives. Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) conducted long-term and short-term observations of these elections to provide a critical and independent assessment of the electoral and political processes around the elections. This preliminary statement outlines findings and makes recommendations based on DRCN’s observation before, during, and after the third phase of local elections.

On June 28, 2017 the Second Phase of local elections was held in Provinces 1, 5, and 7. Voters in newly formed local units turned out in impressive numbers to elect new representatives for the first time in nearly 20 years. Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) conducted observation of the elections in order to provide a critical, independent, and high-quality assessment of the electoral and political processes around the elections. This preliminary statement outlines findings and makes recommendations based on DRCN‟s observation before, during, and after the Second Phase elections.