The UN Special
Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Philip Alston,
has argued that one of the most frequent types of electoral violence is that
engaged in by state agents against demonstrators in election-related public
gatherings or protests.[1]
Apart from violent acts perpetrated by politically biased police, most of the
abuses occur because police officers are not aware of their responsibilities within
the electoral process or of the electoral legislation and other laws involved
in the process, such as regulations concerning the right of assembly and public
demonstrations. With regard to the policing of demonstrations, Alston has
pointed out that, in many cases, violence occurs because ‘the police lack[ed]
the appropriate use of force guidelines, training, experience and equipment to
control the crowd lawfully and appropriately’.[2]
Empirical cases:
- Nepal
parliamentary election 2008.
The police force deployed over 100,000 personnel[3] during the electoral
period. External reports warned, however, of a lack of police training in
coping with potential electoral violence.[4] Illustrating the point,
during one pre-election protest the police fired on protesters, resulting in
one death. Protesters also demonstrated against the death of communist
candidate Rishi Prasad Sharma. [5]
Interrelated factors: presence of non-state armed actors (external).[6]
