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

Choice Votes %
Panchayat2,433,45254.79
Multi-party2,007,96545.21
Invalid/blank votes372,069–
Total4,813,486100
Registered voters/turnout7,192,45166.92
Source: Nohlen et al., Rishikesh, sudd.ch

By region

Choice Hills Inner-Tarai Mountains Plains
Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %
Panchayat1,126,16957.287,89534.0228,61771.1848,75444.6
Multi-party844,12442.8139,02166.086,65828.9938,16255.4
Invalid/blank votes158,581–20,645–25,061–69,041–
Total2,127,615100278,780100340,3381002,066,753100
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 Electorate Turnout Invalid votes Votes Proportion of votes
Panchayat Multiparty Panchayat Multiparty
Jhapa District 168,184 81.61% 10,721 72,337 54,198 57.17% 42.83%
Ilam District 76,142 77.26% 5,459 28,525 24,841 53.45% 46.55%
Panchthar District 71,514 73.78% 2,797 28,442 21,523 56.92% 43.08%
Taplejung District 56,785 59.83% 3,368 17,597 13,012 57.49% 42.51%
Morang District 208,774 79.37% 14,737 72,589 78,382 48.08% 51.92%
Sunsari District 152,000 82.17% 11,353 54,853 58,696 48.31% 51.69%
Dhankuta District 61,483 71.61% 2,269 31,496 10,265 75.42% 24.58%
Bhojpur District 100,289 60.45% 3,595 37,083 19,951 65.02% 34.98%
Tehrathum District 47,390 64.95% 1,696 18,171 10,912 62.48% 37.52%
Sankhuwasabha District 68,190 61.77% 3,021 25,560 13,542 65.37% 34.63%
Siraha District 196,875 79.37% 15,652 50,543 90,065 35.95% 64.05%
Saptari District 197,303 76.82% 10,189 71,053 70,322 50.26% 49.74%
Udayapur District 68,730 56.47% 3,289 12,393 23,133 34.88% 65.12%
Okhaldhunga District 69,351 58.43% 1,848 27,062 11,614 69.97% 30.03%
Khotang District 107,064 60.83% 2,276 46,576 16,270 74.11% 25.89%
Solukhumbu District 44,816 62.94% 1,522 20,224 6,461 75.79% 24.21%
Sarlahi District 197,396 72.85% 6,510 58,409 78,889 42.54% 57.46%
Dhanusha District 207,695 76.49% 16,545 74,796 67,520 52.56% 47.44%
Mahottari District 187,552 72.99% 7,509 70,881 58,498 54.79% 45.21%
Sindhuli District 79,328 59.75% 1,012 27,308 19,077 58.87% 41.13%
Ramechhap District 86,397 52.17% 2,622 24,930 17,522 58.73% 41.27%
Dolakha District 82,912 50.57% 2,164 27,987 11,781 70.38% 29.62%
Dhading District 121,875 53.79% 4,051 39,932 21,572 64.93% 35.07%
Nuwakot District 100,679 61.45% 8,886 40,486 12,500 76.41% 23.59%
Rasuwa District 15,423 85.30% 713 9,289 3,154 74.65% 25.35%
Kathmandu District 219,968 72.73% 7,956 68,140 83,884 44.82% 55.18%
Lalitpur District 85,189 78.82% 3,631 24,472 39,043 38.53% 61.47%
Bhaktapur District 76,116 80.26% 2,814 21,346 36,928 36.63% 63.37%
Kavrepalanchok District 149,697 58.00% 6,515 49,230 31,084 61.30% 38.70%
Sindhupalchok District 119,736 57.27% 4,490 43,269 20,808 67.53% 32.47%
Makwanpur District 104,732 61.39% 3,896 34,960 25,443 57.88% 42.12%
Chitwan District 105,889 72.52% 5,842 31,219 39,731 44.00% 56.00%
Bara District 146,919 76.49% 5,827 63,114 43,441 59.23% 40.77%
Parsa District 141,841 72.12% 8,343 63,862 30,091 67.97% 32.03%
Rautahat District 168,083 71.52% 6,526 54,389 59,294 47.84% 52.16%
Tanahun District 110,052 62.50% 6,384 24,156 38,243 38.71% 61.29%
Gorkha District 114,686 63.63% 4,857 43,567 24,556 63.95% 36.05%
Lamjung District 76,892 68.40% 3,708 24,939 23,950 51.01% 48.99%
Kaski District 111,221 67.76% 5,579 30,012 39,769 43.01% 56.99%
Syangja District 148,939 64.98% 8,632 46,205 41,941 52.42% 47.58%
Manang District 3,960 90.18% 35 3,043 493 86.06% 13.94%
Rupandehi District 163,347 71.17% 9,380 52,664 54,204 49.28% 50.72%
Nawalparasi District 128,456 73.39% 7,159 47,275 39,842 54.27% 45.73%
Kapilvastu District 136,312 75.09% 6,908 49,751 45,700 52.12% 47.88%
Gulmi District 128,168 63.13% 8,904 36,279 35,735 50.38% 49.62%
Arghakhanchi District 79,900 56.53% 3,001 21,812 20,356 51.73% 48.27%
Palpa District 101,930 63.52% 3,956 26,961 33,831 44.35% 55.65%
Parbat District 80,165 62.25% 2,128 30,831 16,945 64.53% 35.47%
Myagdi District 47,755 69.59% 1,149 21,036 11,049 65.56% 34.44%
Mustang District 7,924 87.06% 321 5,898 680 89.66% 10.34%
Baglung District 113,046 63.94% 5,712 45,059 21,516 67.68% 32.32%
Humla District 34,920 78.69% 1,857 21,518 4,102 83.99% 16.01%
Jumla District 11,480 71.04% 617 4,783 2,755 63.45% 36.55%
Dolpa District 11,518 91.86% 984 9,261 336 96.50% 3.50%
Mugu District 21,357 76.89% 1,222 12,844 2,356 84.50% 15.50%
Kalikot District 44,694 77.76% 4,029 26,211 4,516 85.30% 14.70%
Dang District 113,070 62.58% 6,283 29,173 35,303 45.25% 54.75%
Salyan District 72,133 55.37% 3,117 21,755 15,070 59.08% 40.92%
Pyuthan District 77,308 58.12% 2,666 30,245 12,019 71.56% 28.44%
Rolpa District 85,147 52.84% 3,599 28,983 12,408 70.02% 29.98%
Rukum District 62,453 56.84% 6,099 19,919 9,478 67.76% 32.24%
Banke District 90,331 73.91% 7,856 37,769 21,138 64.12% 35.88%
Bardiya District 74,220 80.83% 9,353 19,192 31,448 37.90% 62.10%
Surkhet District 66,216 67.83% 4,119 19,021 21,777 46.62% 53.38%
Dailekh District 80,877 55.56% 3,843 26,357 14,739 64.14% 35.86%
Jajarkot District 46,392 61.44% 7,667 11,805 9,033 56.65% 43.35%
Kailali District 109,638 59.32% 10,225 27,703 27,104 50.55% 49.45%
Doti District 81,663 41.36% 3,080 15,135 15,559 49.31% 50.69%
Achham District 106,712 47.25% 3,849 28,350 18,226 60.87% 39.13%
Bajhang District 65,947 58.41% 2,486 25,325 10,707 70.28% 29.72%
Bajura District 37,215 58.30% 1,557 14,416 5,723 71.58% 28.42%
Kanchanpur District 72,321 58.02% 4,248 18,382 19,330 48.74% 51.26%
Dadeldhura District 45,600 47.89% 2,308 9,235 10,296 47.28% 52.72%
Baitadi District 92,377 38.80% 2,287 18,308 15,245 54.56% 45.44%
Darchula District 43,772 52.24% 1,167 14,661 7,040 67.56% 32.44%
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.
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