House Panel directs the govt to hold election by mid-May 2017

Kathmandu, Dec. 29:

The Development Committee of Legislature-Parliament Thursday directed the government to hold the election of the local bodies by mid-May 2017.

It asked the government to accept the report of the Local Body Reconstruction Commission (LBRC) and announce the date for the election of local bodies at the earliest.

Saying that the election was the first step in the implementation of the constitution and federalism, the house panel said, "The LBRC has prepared the report on the restructuring of the local bodies. Therefore, this committee directs the government, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) to create conducive political environment for the election."

The direction has come at the time when the three major parties have agreed in principle to hold the local election and announce the poll date soon. A meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Center and the main opposition CPN-UML held on Wednesday reached an understanding to hold local elections.

The government, however, has been dillydallying to receive the LBRC report. And members of LBRC had just the other day held a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and urged him to receive the report.

The Commission had completed the report a couple of weeks ago and planned to submit it to the PM last week but it was unable to get an appointment with him to submit the report.

In the latest meeting with the LBRC members PM Prachanda assured them that the government would receive the report at a convenient time.

The report is crucial to demarcate the local bodies as per the provision in the new constitution and holding elections at local, provincial and federal levels.

According to the constitution, all the three elections should be held by January 20 next year while the Election Commission has been saying that it needs at least four months to make preparations for any elections.

Chairman of the Committee Rabindra Adhikari urged all the political parties to give topmost priority to holding election and forge necessary political consensus and collaboration for the same.

He directed the government, OPMCM and MoFALD to register remaining necessary Bills required for holding the election at the Parliament and put sincere efforts to implement federalism.

"Expedite the preparations for the election, estimate the challenges, such as printing ballot paper and designing voters education, that may come during the election programme and use Electronic Voting Machine in order to reduce the error to zero," Adhikari directed all concerned government agencies and Election Commission of Nepal (ECN).

The Committee asked the government to appoint the vacant seats of election commissioners and provide necessary resources and equipments to the ECN.

The Committee also held discussion with the Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hit Raj Pandey, chief whips of various political parties, and high government officials from the OPMCM and MoFALD.