Nepal PM assures to hold three-tier elections on time

Kathmandu [Nepal], July 11 (ANI): Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has assured about completing the constitutional mandate of holding the three tier election on time. Prime Minister Deuba, while addressing the parliamentary meeting on Monday, promised to bring the laws pertaining to three-tier elections in the Parliament and informed the assembly that security arrangements for the elections are intact with the required sources. "In order to hold the federal and provincial elections in stipulated time, the budget and the required manpower and security arrangements are made. The laws that are required for holding the federal and provincial elections will be brought on time, a commission to determine the constituencies will soon be formed," he said without laying out the details about when the laws will be tabled as the parliament is holding discussion over the appropriation bill. In a separate development, the Election Commission of Nepal on Monday announced its plan to start voter registration program with the time duration of 15 days. In order to ensure the participation of wider population in upcoming three-tier election, the Election Commission of Nepal has announced voter registration program starting mid July, 2017. The Election Commission has asked all the eligible voters, who are yet to enlist themselves in the voter rolls, to get it done within 15 days starting from midst of July to the end. The voters will have to go to their respective permanent residential district election offices to get their name registered. "The election commission has decided to start the enrollment of voters name, keeping the three tier election on mind, through the district election offices starting from midst to the end of July, 2017," the Election Commission said in a statement. However, the new voters of province no. 2 will not be able to vote in the final round of local elections. The Election Commission successfully conducted the two-phase local elections in six out of the seven provinces. The province no. 2 is scheduled to go for polls on September 18. The objection by the agitating parties compelled the government to push back the date for holding the election in the province no. 2. Last week, the Election Commission wrote a letter to the Nepal Government, proposing dates for holding the three-tier elections and seeking the announcement of dates for the constitution abided election. But it has got no response from the government. The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 has a mandatory provision of holding the elections of the State Council, National Assembly and House of Representative by first weeks of 2018. (ANI)