Kathmandu, July 27

The Election Commission today said that both elections — provincial and the parliamentary — could be held at one go if the government made a provision to count first-past-the-post votes as well as proportional votes simultaneously.

EC office bearers made it clear to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today when he inquired about the possibility of holding both elections simultaneously.

“The ball is in the government’s court,” said Election Commissioner Sudhir Kumar Shah, adding that the polls panel was ready to hold both elections at once if the government amended the law to allow the EC to count FPTP votes and proportional representation votes.

The EC office bearers, including CEC Ayodhi Prasad Yadav had reached Baluwatar, the official residence of the PM to discuss provincial and parliamentary elections.

Commissioner Shah said they had requested the PM to declare the poll date, pass election related bills and provide the report of the Constituency Delimitation Commission by August 16.

The EC also sought the government’s help to use electronic voting machine in the provincial and parliamentary elections, according to Shah.

In response, the PM said the government was serious about holding provincial and parliamentary elections within the constitutional deadline.

As per the constitution, both provincial and the Parliamentary elections should be held prior to January 21 next year.