KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has advised the government to set a date of coming May 18 for holding the local elections on Wednesday.
After meeting with the Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, a team including the Chief Election Commissioner briefed that the term of office bearers elected from the local level elections held in three phases on Baisakh 31, Ashad 14 and Ashoj 2, 2074 BS and their term would expire on May 19.
It is the constitutional and legal obligation of the Government and the Election Commission to hold the election on the stipulated timeframe.
According to a statement issued by the Election Commission today, the commission is committed to hold election on the proposed date even if the election management period usually requires 120 days.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Deuba informed that the date of the election would be fixed after completing the necessary process to hold the local level election in one phase on the proposed date as per the advice of the commission.
He urged the Election Commission to make all necessary preparations for holding the local elections in a clean, free, fair and fearless environment and directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide necessary security.
While advising the government on behalf of the commission, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya urged the government to set the date of the election in consultation with the commission.
He also informed that none of the provisions of the existing law is inconsistent with the constitution.
Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said that the commission has suggested that the local level election should be held in one or two or more phases.
The commission has suggested that the election should be held at the same time for positive reasons such as reduction of election campaign expenses, shortening of the code of conduct period, other works not being affected, election results in one place not being affected in another place and monitoring and observation of the election.
The commission has also made suggestions on the election security arrangements related to the local level election, the expenses incurred by the commission in election management and the health criteria to be followed in conducting the election between COVID-19.
Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dilendra Prasad Badu, Attorney General Khamma Bahadur Khati, Chief Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi and other high-ranking officials were present on the occasion.
