Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has reiterated many times that he will hold the constituent assembly (CA) elections by mid-June at all costs. On the other hand, doubts are being expressed in various quarters. For instance, election commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Singh expressed doubts on various grounds, such as “ongoing agitation in the Tarai, all election laws have not been made, voters’ lists have not been fully updated, and a date for the polls has not been announced yet”. At an interaction programme in Jhapa on Sunday, Singh went on to stress the need for more election personnel, as two ballot boxes would be kept in each of the 17,500 polling booths. There are also questions of law and order and adequate police personnel to provide security cover for the whole electoral process, as well as for the general people, at a time when the Nepal Army cannot be pressed into service under the peace agreement.

The hugeness of the task cannot be underestimated, because it will be a race against time — only less than three months is available. The government’s rather slow pace, and currently the delay in forming an interim government (IG), is causing apprehensions. Even leaders of some of the eight parties have started alleging that the delay is aimed at postponing the elections. Minister Pradeep Gyawali, speaking in the capital on Saturday, accused the political parties quarrelling over major ministerial berths of wanting to set back the polls. Dr Baburam Bhattarai, the CPN-Maoist’s second-in-command, is quoted as saying on Monday after the inconclusive meeting of the four big parties that the delay in government formation is a “conspiracy under various pretexts not to hold the polls in mid-June.

Some people also hold the view that the present electoral atmosphere in the country is not completely free from fear for all people to participate without hesitation. In their opinion, the scheduled polls might give reasons to suspect the credibility of election outcome. No doubt, problems exist on a number of fronts, but they are not insurmountable provided that the government, the eight parties and the EC are determined. An ideal climate might not emerge even after six months. If need be, the elections could be thought of in phases, which would resolve the problems of logistics. Nor should the movement, now on a reduced scale, in some parts of the Tarai be allowed to push back the CA timetable. Elections have been held in more inhospitable circumstances in other countries. On the contrary, the fluid political situation could become worse with a protracted period of doubt and uncertainty. Postponement would most probably trigger calls for deciding on the fate of the monarchy before the CA polls. In addition, it might raise doubts about the prime minister’s leadership even among the eight parties, as CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Nepal has recently been saying repeatedly that the prime minister will be held responsible for any failure to hold the polls on time. The coming weeks will therefore be a test of the leadership of Koirala who said the other day that in extraordinary circumstances, elections would be held in an extraordinary manner.