KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday urged the Election Commission to carry out preparations on time for three polls to be held within one year and five months to implement the Constitution.

Dahal had reached the Commission office today along with Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak in order to instruct the constitutional body for timely preparations for local, provincial and federal polls.

"The government is serious and committed to holding elections on time," he said, "The government thus wants the Commission to work with the same seriousness."

In response, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav said the Commission already prepared drafts of the laws required to hold the elections and urged the government to ensure their timely endorsement and enactment.

Likewise, he requested the Prime Minister to provide sufficient time to the Commission for preparations after announcing the dates and prepare necessary physical infrastructures.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister made it clear that the government would hold local bodies' elections after finalising restructuring of the local bodies.

He said the Local Body Restructuring Commission would submit its report to the government by mid-October, and the government and the Commission would prepare for the polls in next six months to hold the local body elections by mid-April next year.

Assuring the no ward would be divided except exceptions in the restructuring process, he directed the Election Commission to begin updating voters' list on the basis of existing wards.

After holding the local elections then, it would be better to hold provincial and federal elections simultaneously, he suggested. He also told the Commission to consider the proposal for further discussion.