Kathmandu, August 13:

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhoj Raj Pokhrel today urged the political parties to launch joint programmes in villages and cities to win confidence of the people and create an environment conducive to holding constituent assembly elections.

“Except in some pockets, we have noticed improvement in the security situation across the country. The Election Commission (EC) is ready to hold the polls on November 22. Time has come for the parties to begin working together,” Pokhrel told a press conference here.

“Constituent Assembly elections are my only priority,” Pokhrel quoted Prime Minister Giirja Prasad Koirala as telling him yesterday.

He said the situation was not like in June, when even laws related to the elections were not formulated.

“Now we have laws, rules and regulations. The EC is only a referee; the political players are yet to be on the ground,” said Pokhrel.

Nepal will lose its image if the elections get postponed this time as well, he warned, urging the political parties to take this fact into account.

Stating that the elections are the agenda of the political parties, Pokhrel expressed confidence that the parties will not undermine their agenda. He informed that the EC was putting logistics in place and will soon implement the Code of Conduct for CA polls. He said the EC has almost completed technical preparations.