Kathmandu, July 16

The Election Commission today drew Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s attention to urgency of forming Constituency Delimitation Commission, whose report is essential to hold provincial and parliamentary elections.

During the meeting with the PM, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav urged him to take the EC’s request with urgency, saying the poll panel cannot plan for elections without the CDC report.

“We urged the PM not to delay formation of CDC,” said Election Commissioner Ila Sharma. She said EC officials also asked the PM to expedite passage of bills on provincial assembly, national assembly and parliamentary elections, and to revise Electoral Rolls Act-2017.

Earlier, the poll panel had written a formal letter to the government, asking it to provide the CDC report by July 30; pass the bills on provincial assembly, national assembly and parliamentary elections, which are pending in the House; revise Electoral Rolls Act-2017 and announce date for elections immediately.

“The prime minsiter assured us that the CDC would be formed as soon as possible,” said Sharma.

Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal said he hoped that the government would provide the CDC report within the deadline. “I am serious about implementing the constitution by holding provincial and parliamentary elections within the constitutional deadline,” Dahal quoted the prime minister as saying.

The EC also reminded the government that it has limited time to update voter list as Section-4 of the Electoral Rolls Act-2017 barred it from registering voters after announcement of poll dates.

Earlier, the election body had suggested to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to hold provincial and parliamentary elections separately before December. As per the constitution, local, provincial and parliamentary elections should be held by January 21 next year.

CEC Yadav was accompanied by commissioners Ila Sharma, Narendra Dahal, Ishwori Prasad Paudel, Sudhir Kumar Shah and EC’s Acting Secretary Maheshwor Neupane in the meeting held at Singha Durbar.

Home Minister Janardan Sharma, Chief Secretary Rajendra Kishor Chhetri and Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Lok Darshan Regmi were also present in the meeting.