Kathmandu

Minister Singh to move apex court against Election Commission

Minister Singh to move apex court against Election Commission

By THT Online

Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation Prem Bahadur Singh speaks at the Reporters' Club in Kathmandu, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. Photo: Reporters' Club

KATHMANDU: Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation Prem Bahadur Singh warned that he would move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission, claiming that the latter scrapped his Samajwadi Janata Party illegally. On March 6, the constitutional body responsible for elections management had scrapped as many as 15 political parties including the SJP for not submitting the party’s income-expenditure reports for three consecutive fiscal years. Speaking with journalists at the Reporters' Club today, Singh, however, said Article 270 of the Constitution does not allow ban on political parties. 'I will move the Supreme Court on Thursday,' he said. The Minister said it was very ironic in a democratic nation to scrap any political party and the Commission made the move with a 'grand design'. He argued that the Commission could only take action against the parties as per the Political Parties Act, 2002, but not the Election Commission Act, 2007. He also accused the acting Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav of being politically biased toward them while taking the action. 'The law has not been implemented equally,' he said, 'While some parties were treated under the Political Parties Act, some were treated under the Election Commission Act.' He even claimed that his party had submitted the financial details two years ago, but the Commission could not document them safely. The details of this year, however, could not be submitted as they were lost in the earthquake last year.