Kathmandu, May 24

The Election Commission today made it clear to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal that the second phase of the election would not be possible on the stipulated date, if the number of local levels were increased.

During the meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav told the PM that the polls panel could not hold the second phase of elections on June 14 if the number of local bodies is increased, a highly placed source at the EC, said.

A cabinet meeting held on Monday had decided to increase 22 local levels in the districts of the Tarai region.

EC Commissioners Ila Sharma, Narendra Dahal, Ishwori Prasad Paudel, Sudhir Kumar Shah and EC’s Secretary Gopinath Mainali had reached the PM’s official residence at 1:00pm to meet the prime minister.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi, CPN-Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha and CPN-MC leader Ram Bahadur Thapa were also present in the meeting.

PM Dahal had sought suggestions on the government’s decision to increase number of local bodies in the districts of Tarai region with CEC Yadav and other EC commissioners.

He claimed that the government took the decision in its bid to forge consensus with the agitating Madhesi parties.

In response, the EC commissioners reminded the PM that the EC was prepared to hold local level elections at once in all 744 local levels on May 14, but held only in province 3, 4 and 6 as requested by the government.

CEC Yadav told the PM and other leaders that the commission had completed all necessary preparations to hold second phase of elections on June 14, as declared by the government.

“The EC is ready to hold second phase of elections without exploring possibilities of new dates and other alternatives,” Yadav told the PM, according to a press statement issued by the EC’s Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma.

He also informed the PM that the EC is all prepared to hold second phase of elections in the remaining 461 local levels of provinces 1,2 5 and 7 on June 14.

He further told the PM that the EC has already printed voters’ roll, voters’ identity cards, and ballot papers and supplied all electronic materials to the districts.

He also informed that the poll panel has already deployed employees, opened offices of Chief Election Officers and has been preparing to file nominations.

The EC has also published the poll schedule on Nepal gazette.

“We told the PM that we do not know about the government’s new decision as we have not yet received any official letter about the cabinet’s new decision and the decision should be published in the Napel gazette,” said EC commissioner Ila Sharma.