Kathmandu, September 8

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today urged office bearers of the Election Commission to make arrangement for filing papers of candidates of proportional list only after nomination of first-past-the-post candidates.

During a meeting with EC office bearers, including Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, at PM’s office in Singha Durbar, the PM said political parties could not give list of proportional candidates for provincial and parliamentary elections immediately as they were busy in preparation for the third phase of local level polls.

According to Secretary at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, the PM also complained about the election code of conduct. “The government has been facing difficulty fulfilling its obligations as the code of conduct was enforced too early,” Adhikari quoted the PM as saying. He said the PM requested EC officials to ease some provisions of the election code of conduct as the country was in the phase of implementing the new statute.

In response, the EC office bearers told the PM that the poll panel was in final phase of making schedules of proportional and FPTP elections for provincial and parliamentary polls. The government has announced that it will hold both elections — provincial and parliamentary — simultaneously on November 26 and December 7.

EC Commissioner Sudhir Kumar Shah told THT that there was provision of submitting closed list of PR candidates prior to submitting FPTP in the election commission. He said political parties had submitted list of PR candidates prior to submitting FPTP lists in both Constituent Assembly elections.

“We have not reached any decision. We will hold internal discussion and take a decision in that regard within the next couple of days,” added Shah.

According to a press release issued by EC, EC officials told the PM that poll code of conduct was enforced just 86 days before the November 26 election. They also reminded the PM that the election code was enforced 116 days before the second Constituent Assembly election and the election code of conduct should be enforced 120 days before the polling day, as per the law.

EC officials told the PM that the election code of conduct did not bar the government from implementing national pride projects, doing managerial works of state restructuring, carrying out relief and rehabilitation work and reconstructing physical infrastructure damaged by recent floods and landslides.

The PM, deputy PMs and other ministers, who were present at the meeting inquired about the EC’s preparation for the third phase of civic polls slated for September 18 in 136 local units of eight districts of Province 2.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education Gopal Man Singh were also present in the meeting.