Skip to main content

Govt set to write to EC to stay prepared for polls

The government has decided to write to the Election Commission (EC) to make necessary logistical preparations to hold election by mid-May. Top leaders of the ruling political parties made a decision to write to the EC to stay logistically prepared as the time is already running short for holding three elections by January, 2018. The decision comes in the wake of the parliament inching closer to endorsing all election-related bills that are required to hold the local level election. Senior leader of the ruling CPN (Maoist Center) Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the EC must be instructed to make necessary preparations for holding the poll if it is technically difficult to announce election date. "This is what I have been personally suggesting to the government to do for over a month now. I am hopeful that a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday will take a decision along the same lines," said Shrestha. 

The government is balking at announcing date for election as the agitating Madhes-based parties have threatened to boycott the poll in case the government announced poll date without bringing amendment to the constitution. There are fears that announcement of the poll date amid opposition of the Madhes-based parties could vitiate environment for the poll. During a meeting with the agitating Madhes-based parties on Monday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had inquired about their reaction if the government withheld the decision to announce election date, but directed the EC to make necessary preparations to hold the local level poll by mid-May. The prime minister had said that the government would announce election date only after amending the constitution. 

The preparation by the government comes after the agitating Madhes-based parties positively responded to the prime minister's proposal. "Obviously, we do not have any objection if the government makes internal preparations and announces election date only after amending the constitution," said General Secretary of National Madhes Socialist Party Keshav Jha. The government has already tabled a seven-point amendment bill to address the concerns of the Madhes-based parties. As the government has failed to secure necessary two-thirds majority in parliament in favor of the bill, it remains pending for over a month. 

The agitating Madhes-based parties have also warned that they would not allow the election to take place if the government accepted the existing report of the local-level restructuring commission (LLRC). They maintain that the current LLRC report delineates only 31 percent of local units in 20 Tarai-Madhes districts that constitute about 51 percent of the total population. "The LLRC report has yet to be accepted by the government. I wonder on what basis will the election commission make necessary preparations even if the government instructs it to do so?" asked Jha. 

Kosh Raj Koirala
MyRepublica

02/02/2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections to oppose regional politics: Chair Oli

CPN (UML) chair and former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that the upcoming elections will vehemently oppose and respond to the regional politics and forces involved in disharmonizing the social cohesion. Speaking in a program organized to extend thanks to the volunteers, artists and media for their presence and support shown during the party's Mechi-Mahakali Campaign (March 4-18), leader Oli said so. He added that the people will answer those forces by giving a majority seats to his party from upcoming elections. Leader Oli further shared that the party will launch more effective programme in Province No 2 in near future. He added that the Madhesi morcha showed apolitical behaviors against UML during the campaign being intolerable due to fear of ending their illusion against the constitution and UML if UML launched effective and harmonious programs in Tarai. In another context, chair Oli shared that the attorney general suggested the election commission to touch
Post a Comment
Read more

House panel has decided 3 % threshold provision

State Affairs Committee of the Parliament has decided to impose a threshold of three percent and at least one seat under the First-Past-the-Post electoral system to secure seats under the proportional representation system. The committee meeting on Wednesday took the decision to impose the threshold. Earlier, a sub committee formed by the committee decided to impose 3 percent threshold in the upcoming parliamentary election to become national political party. According to the subcommittee member Rameshwor Phuyal, the 27th meeting of the panel decided to provision three percent threshold after the rigorous discussion.  "Any political party must secure at least three percent seat under the Proportional Representation (PR) category and at least one seat under First-Past-the-Post category to become the national political party," said Phuyal.  He hailed the decision of the 11-member panel as historic. The sub-committee was failing to endorse the Bill Related to Political
Post a Comment
Read more

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent

India Government raises grant for Nepal by 17 percent The Indian government has pledged to extend 17 percent more in financial aid to Nepal in the next fiscal year, indicating greater enthusiasm of the southern neighbour to support the landlocked country’s development endeavours. The Indian government has allocated a grant of IRs3.75 billion (Rs6 billion) for Nepal in 2017-18, as against IRs3.20 in 2016-17. The allocation was made through the Union Budget 2017-18 launched by Indian Finance Minister Arjun Jaitely on Wednesday.  In addition to the amount, India has also pledged to extend a grant of IRs113.30 million to Nepal Police Academy in 2017-18, the Indian budget document says. The grant pledged for Nepal in 2017-18 is second highest among South Asian countries, with Bhutan leading the pack. The Indian government has expressed commitment to extend IRs37.14 billion in grant to Bhutan in 2017-18. The amount, however, is 4 percent lower than in 2016-17. In total, India h
Post a Comment
Read more