Nepal: Election Commission under confusion regarding local polls
By Binod Prasad Adhikari
ANI
Feb 18, 2017 02:36 IST
By Binod Prasad Adhikari Kathmandu [Nepal], Feb. 17 (ANI): It's been long that the Election Commission of Nepal has been making preparations for holding the local polls, but it is yet to receive the date and the law regarding the political parties. The Election Commission needs law regarding the control of political parties to make them abide the same. With the strife between the Government and Madhesh based parties rising, the Election Commission is bearing the brunt. The long time agitating parties have demanded for amendment in the constitution before heading towards the polls but it lacks the majority to pass the amendment proposal tabled earlier. The opposition on the other side is reluctant to its demand of local polls before the amendment. In this dilemma and confusion, the Election Commission who has been preparing for the elections is confident of the polls. It has already proposed dates for the election. "Actually we have proposed the dates so we are working on our timeline. Our job is to conduct elections on time so we should be able to do it. No doubts about it. So far as reports of LLRC are concerned we want it to be implemented in the field that means there should be staff deployed in the field with whom our staff in the district level can co- ordinate. So, our requirement is that the LLRC report must be implemented in the field and laws should be in place," Ila Sharma, Election Commissioner, Election Commission, Nepal said in a short interview with ANI. The Election Commission which has almost completed its preparations with the existing resources hopes for the political uncertainty to end with the announcement of the dates for the local poll. "Everybody needs elections so nobody will say no to elections. Once the date is announced we believe that there will be a political environment. I can sense this," said Sharma. But the fear that is engulfing the staff of the Election Commission, Nepal is the colliding date of holding the local poll with that of the Budget session. The government is planning to announce the date with a time period of less than 90 days designated to let the EC prepare for the local election. When asked about the coinciding date for holding the election and Budget session EC Commissioner Sharma expressed confidence of completing the task before the budget session. "We are also working on a timeline that can still squeeze the time and maybe we will be able to conduct the elections before the budget," she said. (ANI)
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