Kathmandu, May 17

A single bench of Acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki today issued a show cause notice to the government and the leader of main opposition Nepali Congress for not holding local bodies’ election.

The bench sought a written reply within 15 days from the defendants on the issue after a preliminary hearing on the writ petition filed by six advocates, including advocate Chandra Kanta Gyawali, on May 3. Stating that the petition raised serious constitutional and legal question, Karki also ordered that the case be taken up with top priority.

The petitioners argued that the government would not be able to implement the constitution and carry out reconstruction work effectively in the absence of elected local representatives.

They have also stated that the delay in holding local polls had deprived people of their right to be governed by elected representatives. The local bodies are without out elected representatives for the last 14 years.

The government, in its policy and programme presented by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari in the Parliament on May 8, has announced that it would hold the local polls under the transitional provision.

Lawmakers from the main opposition NC, including its president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and lawmakers of Unified CPN-Maoist, including chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, while taking part in discussions on the government’s policy and programme had said that local polls could not be held under the transitional provision.

Stating that the commission formed to determine the number and boundaries of provinces is working to accomplish its task within the next 10 months, they pleaded that the local polls should be held only after the delineation of provincial boundaries.

Leaders of agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front have also been publicly saying that they would not let the government hold local polls until the issue of provincial boundaries was resolved.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, and Election Commission have been named as defendants in the petition.

Creation of chief registrar’s post proposed

KATHMANDU: The government has proposed creating a post of chief registrar at the Supreme Court.

The Bill on Supreme Court Act (amendment) registered by Minister for Law and Justice Agni Prasad Kharal at the Legislature Parliament recently proposes creating a new post equivalent to the rank of chief secretary at SC.

The chief registrar to be appointed as the chief administrative officer of Supreme Court will work as the chief of registrars of all courts, according to government sources.

Registers have been working as administrative officers of courts of all levels.

The government has also registered a separate bill to amend and integrate the works, duties and rights of the Judicial Service Commission.