1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum

1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum
2 May 1980
Results
Choice
 Votes %
Panchayat system 2,433,452 54.79%
Multi-party system 2,007,965 45.21%
Valid votes 4,441,417 92.27%
Invalid or blank votes 372,069 7.73%
Total votes 4,813,486 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 7,192,451 66.92%
Results by district

A referendum on the system of government was held in Nepal on 2 May 1980. Voters were offered the choice between a non-partisan panchayat system and a multi-party system. The panchayat system received a slim majority of 54.99%, whereas Multi-Party System only received 45.2% of the total votes. Voter turnout was 66.9%.[1]

Background

With the backdrop of mass student protests against his rule in the spring of 1979, King Birendra made a public declaration on May 23, 1979, that a referendum with universal adult suffrage with secret vote would be held in which the people of Nepal would be able to choose between introducing a multiparty system or retain the non-party panchayat regime.[2]

On 21 January 1980, King Birendra published the Referendum Rules, stating that after the referendum 'His Majesty shall make such provisions in the Constitution of Nepal as may deem necessary'.[3]

Method of voting

Nepalese citizens aged 21 and above were eligible to vote.[4] The voters would mark their choice by stamping either of two colours on the ballot paper, blue for the multiparty system and yellow for the non-party panchayat system. It was speculated at the time that the choice of colours had not been coincidental, since the yellow colour was associated with saintly religious qualities. There is no empirical evidence though, that the choice of colours affected the outcome of the vote.[5]

Results

  Panchayat system or   Multiparty system?
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Panchayat system 2,443,452 54.79
Multiparty system 2,007,965 45.21
Valid votes 4,441,417 92.27
Invalid or blank votes 372,069 7.73
Total votes 4,813,486 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 7,192,451 66.92
Source: Nohlen et al., Rishikesh, sudd.ch

By region

Choice Hills Inner-Tarai Mountains Plains
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Panchayat 1,126,169 57.2 87,895 34.0 228,617 71.1 848,754 44.6
Multi-party 844,124 42.8 139,021 66.0 86,658 28.9 938,162 55.4
Invalid/blank votes 158,581 – 20,645 – 25,061 – 69,041 –
Total 2,127,615 100 278,780 100 340,338 100 2,066,753 100
Source: Rishikesh

By district

The panchayat partyless system option got a majority in 54 out of the 75 districts of Nepal. The highest percentage of pro-panchayat votes was recorded in Dolpo (96.4%), the lowest in Bhaktapur (34.4%). The highest scores for the multiparty system option were recorded in Bhaktapur (65.6%), Udaipur (65.1%), Siraha (64%) and Bardiya (62.1%). In general, the multiparty system option performed better in areas with higher literacy levels.

District Votes Electorate
Panchayat Multiparty
Votes % Votes % Valid Invalid Total Total Turnout
Jhapa District 72,337 57.17% 54,198 42.83% 126,535 10,721 137,256 168,184 81.61%
Ilam District 28,525 53.45% 24,841 46.55% 53,366 5,459 58,825 76,142 77.26%
Panchthar District 28,442 56.92% 21,523 43.08% 49,965 2,797 52,762 71,514 73.78%
Taplejung District 17,597 57.49% 13,012 42.51% 30,609 3,368 33,977 56,785 59.83%
Morang District 72,589 48.08% 78,382 51.92% 150,971 14,737 165,708 208,774 79.37%
Sunsari District 54,853 48.31% 58,696 51.69% 113,549 11,353 124,902 152,000 82.17%
Dhankuta District 31,496 75.42% 10,265 24.58% 41,761 2,269 44,030 61,483 71.61%
Bhojpur District 37,083 65.02% 19,951 34.98% 57,034 3,595 60,629 100,289 60.45%
Tehrathum District 18,171 62.48% 10,912 37.52% 29,083 1,696 30,779 47,390 64.95%
Sankhuwasabha District 25,560 65.37% 13,542 34.63% 39,102 3,021 42,123 68,190 61.77%
Siraha District 50,543 35.95% 90,065 64.05% 140,608 15,652 156,260 196,875 79.37%
Saptari District 71,053 50.26% 70,322 49.74% 141,375 10,189 151,564 197,303 76.82%
Udayapur District 12,393 34.88% 23,133 65.12% 35,526 3,289 38,815 68,730 56.47%
Okhaldhunga District 27,062 69.97% 11,614 30.03% 38,676 1,848 40,524 69,351 58.43%
Khotang District 46,576 74.11% 16,270 25.89% 62,846 2,276 65,122 107,064 60.83%
Solukhumbu District 20,224 75.79% 6,461 24.21% 26,685 1,522 28,207 44,816 62.94%
Sarlahi District 58,409 42.54% 78,889 57.46% 137,298 6,510 143,808 197,396 72.85%
Dhanusha District 74,796 52.56% 67,520 47.44% 142,316 16,545 158,861 207,695 76.49%
Mahottari District 70,881 54.79% 58,498 45.21% 129,379 7,509 136,888 187,552 72.99%
Sindhuli District 27,308 58.87% 19,077 41.13% 46,385 1,012 47,397 79,328 59.75%
Ramechhap District 24,930 58.73% 17,522 41.27% 42,452 2,622 45,074 86,397 52.17%
Dolakha District 27,987 70.38% 11,781 29.62% 39,768 2,164 41,932 82,912 50.57%
Dhading District 39,932 64.93% 21,572 35.07% 61,504 4,051 65,555 121,875 53.79%
Nuwakot District 40,486 76.41% 12,500 23.59% 52,986 8,886 61,872 100,679 61.45%
Rasuwa District 9,289 74.65% 3,154 25.35% 12,443 713 13,156 15,423 85.30%
Kathmandu District 68,140 44.82% 83,884 55.18% 152,024 7,956 159,980 219,968 72.73%
Lalitpur District 24,472 38.53% 39,043 61.47% 63,515 3,631 67,146 85,189 78.82%
Bhaktapur District 21,346 36.63% 36,928 63.37% 58,274 2,814 61,088 76,116 80.26%
Kavrepalanchok District 49,230 61.30% 31,084 38.70% 80,314 6,515 86,829 149,697 58.00%
Sindhupalchok District 43,269 67.53% 20,808 32.47% 64,077 4,490 68,567 119,736 57.27%
Makwanpur District 34,960 57.88% 25,443 42.12% 60,403 3,896 64,299 104,732 61.39%
Chitwan District 31,219 44.00% 39,731 56.00% 70,950 5,842 76,792 105,889 72.52%
Bara District 63,114 59.23% 43,441 40.77% 106,555 5,827 112,382 146,919 76.49%
Parsa District 63,862 67.97% 30,091 32.03% 93,953 8,343 102,296 141,841 72.12%
Rautahat District 54,389 47.84% 59,294 52.16% 113,683 6,526 120,209 168,083 71.52%
Tanahun District 24,156 38.71% 38,243 61.29% 62,399 6,384 68,783 110,052 62.50%
Gorkha District 43,567 63.95% 24,556 36.05% 68,123 4,857 72,980 114,686 63.63%
Lamjung District 24,939 51.01% 23,950 48.99% 48,889 3,708 52,597 76,892 68.40%
Kaski District 30,012 43.01% 39,769 56.99% 69,781 5,579 75,360 111,221 67.76%
Syangja District 46,205 52.42% 41,941 47.58% 88,146 8,632 96,778 148,939 64.98%
Manang District 3,043 86.06% 493 13.94% 3,536 35 3,571 3,960 90.18%
Rupandehi District 52,664 49.28% 54,204 50.72% 106,868 9,380 116,248 163,347 71.17%
Nawalparasi District 47,275 54.27% 39,842 45.73% 87,117 7,159 94,276 128,456 73.39%
Kapilvastu District 49,751 52.12% 45,700 47.88% 95,451 6,908 102,359 136,312 75.09%
Gulmi District 36,279 50.38% 35,735 49.62% 72,014 8,904 80,918 128,168 63.13%
Arghakhanchi District 21,812 51.73% 20,356 48.27% 42,168 3,001 45,169 79,900 56.53%
Palpa District 26,961 44.35% 33,831 55.65% 60,792 3,956 64,748 101,930 63.52%
Parbat District 30,831 64.53% 16,945 35.47% 47,776 2,128 49,904 80,165 62.25%
Myagdi District 21,036 65.56% 11,049 34.44% 32,085 1,149 33,234 47,755 69.59%
Mustang District 5,898 89.66% 680 10.34% 6,578 321 6,899 7,924 87.06%
Baglung District 45,059 67.68% 21,516 32.32% 66,575 5,712 72,287 113,046 63.94%
Humla District 21,518 83.99% 4,102 16.01% 25,620 1,857 27,477 34,920 78.69%
Jumla District 4,783 63.45% 2,755 36.55% 7,538 617 8,155 11,480 71.04%
Dolpa District 9,261 96.50% 336 3.50% 9,597 984 10,581 11,518 91.86%
Mugu District 12,844 84.50% 2,356 15.50% 15,200 1,222 16,422 21,357 76.89%
Kalikot District 26,211 85.30% 4,516 14.70% 30,727 4,029 34,756 44,694 77.76%
Dang District 29,173 45.25% 35,303 54.75% 64,476 6,283 70,759 113,070 62.58%
Salyan District 21,755 59.08% 15,070 40.92% 36,825 3,117 39,942 72,133 55.37%
Pyuthan District 30,245 71.56% 12,019 28.44% 42,264 2,666 44,930 77,308 58.12%
Rolpa District 28,983 70.02% 12,408 29.98% 41,391 3,599 44,990 85,147 52.84%
Rukum District 19,919 67.76% 9,478 32.24% 29,397 6,099 35,496 62,453 56.84%
Banke District 37,769 64.12% 21,138 35.88% 58,907 7,856 66,763 90,331 73.91%
Bardiya District 19,192 37.90% 31,448 62.10% 50,640 9,353 59,993 74,220 80.83%
Surkhet District 19,021 46.62% 21,777 53.38% 40,798 4,119 44,917 66,216 67.83%
Dailekh District 26,357 64.14% 14,739 35.86% 41,096 3,843 44,939 80,877 55.56%
Jajarkot District 11,805 56.65% 9,033 43.35% 20,838 7,667 28,505 46,392 61.44%
Kailali District 27,703 50.55% 27,104 49.45% 54,807 10,225 65,032 109,638 59.32%
Doti District 15,135 49.31% 15,559 50.69% 30,694 3,080 33,774 81,663 41.36%
Achham District 28,350 60.87% 18,226 39.13% 46,576 3,849 50,425 106,712 47.25%
Bajhang District 25,325 70.28% 10,707 29.72% 36,032 2,486 38,518 65,947 58.41%
Bajura District 14,416 71.58% 5,723 28.42% 20,139 1,557 21,696 37,215 58.30%
Kanchanpur District 18,382 48.74% 19,330 51.26% 37,712 4,248 41,960 72,321 58.02%
Dadeldhura District 9,235 47.28% 10,296 52.72% 19,531 2,308 21,839 45,600 47.89%
Baitadi District 18,308 54.56% 15,245 45.44% 33,553 2,287 35,840 92,377 38.80%
Darchula District 14,661 67.56% 7,040 32.44% 21,701 1,167 22,868 43,772 52.24%
Source: Election Commission

The Hindu community was more or less evenly divided between the two options. The Muslim community is said to have voted predominantly in favour of the panchayat system. Ethnic groups like Tamang, Sherpa, Magar, Gurung and Kirati overwhelmingly supported the panchayat option, whilst the Tharu are said to have been predominantly in favour of the multiparty system.[6]


References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p633 ISBN 0-19-924958-X
  2. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980-1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 51, 69.
  3. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980-1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 62.
  4. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980-1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 80.
  5. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980-1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 68-69.
  6. ^ Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980-1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 69-70.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Nepalese_governmental_system_referendum