US congratulates Nepal on successful elections

The just-concluded provincial and parliamentary elections in Nepal should set the stage for responsive governance working on principles of transparency, inclusivity and rule of law, the US has said, congratulating the Himalayan nation on the historic polls.
State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert yesterday conveyed US' greetings to Nepal on the peaceful conclusion of the elections held on November 26 and December 7.
"This is a historic milestone for Nepal that will bring new local, provincial, and national government officials to lead the country's new federal system of government," she said in a statement.
"The election of representatives at all levels of government should set the stage for responsive governance based on the principles of transparency, inclusivity, and rule of law," she said.

Nauert said the US was looking forward to working with the new government in Nepal.
The elections are being seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.

While many hope Nepal's first state elections will hasten regional development, others fear they will spark a fresh wave of violence.
In 2015, when Nepal adopted a new Constitution that split it into seven states, dozens of people were killed in ethnic clashes over territory and rights.
Following the adoption of the new Constitution, the ethnic Madhesi group, mostly of Indian-origin, protested for months, saying they were not getting enough territory in one of the states and were also facing discrimination.

The polls are seen as a major step towards implementing the new Constitution.