Kathmandu, June 12:

The UN Electoral Expert Monitoring Team (EEMT), set up under the mandate of the Security Council Resolution 1740, would make its first visit to Nepal this week.

The five-member team comprises Dr Rafael Lopez-Pintor of Spain, the team leader, Ayman Ayoub (Syria), Stefanie Luthy (Switzerland), Antonio Reis (Brazil), and Bong-Scuk Sohn (Republic of Korea).

Appointed directly by the Secretary-General, members of the EEMT are responsible for assessing the electoral process on a regular basis in order to determine whether it is proceeding in a manner which will lead to a result that accurately reflects the will of the Nepali people.

The EEMT will hold meetings with a range of stakeholders, including the government, members of Parliament, political parties and civil society organisations, and national and international electoral observer groups.

The EEMT will report to the Secretary-General on the conduct of the election. The Secretary-General will share reports of the EEMT with the government of Nepal. The EEMT is not a part of the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). It operates separately from the UNMIN Electoral Assistance Office, which provides technical assistance to the Election Commission.