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Seriously Working On Holding Elections
By KTM Metro Reporter
March 18, 2013: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav issued the Work, Duty and Performance Methods of Constitutional Council ordinance yesterday following the Article 88 (1) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007 paving the way for filling up the vacant positions at the constitutional bodies including the Election Commission, according to the ‘gorkhapatra’ news of today.
The Interim Election Council (IEC) following the suggestions of the High-level Political Committee of the four major political parties such as UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and UDMF has submitted the recommendations to President Yadav. Thus, the consensus of the four major political parties is working now.
The Constitutional Council could fill up the vacant positions at Election Commission, Commission on Investigation into Abuse of Authority, Public Service Commission, and the office of Auditor General. Thus, not only the political deadlock was broken but also of the administration.
A meeting of the Federal Democratic Republican Front held at the Parisdanda headquarters of UCPN-Maoist in Kathmandu yesterday has decided to suggest the elections to be held on June 18, 2013. The Front presided over by Chairman of UCPN-Maoist Prachanda is made up of the 19-like-minmded political parties. They are for federalism and federal states with identity.
The High-level Political Committee made up of the UCPN-Maoist, NC, CPN-UML and UDMF also has suggested the IEC to hold elections in the third week of June 2013.
Chairman of IEC Khil Raj Regmi held a meeting with the staffs of the Election Commission at his Singhadurbar office yesterday to make sure elections would be held in the third week of June 2013. Secretary to the Election Commission Narayangopal Malego said that the Election Commission was ready to hold the elections in the third week of June but it was not so easy, according to the ‘gorkhapatra’ news of today. Secretary Malego said that to hold elections as early as possible, the vacant positions at the Election Commission should be filled up immediately; the Election Commission needs Rs 7 billions. So, the IEC needs to make sure that the money is available on time.
Chairman of IEC Regmi said that the filling up the vacant positions at the Election Commission would be done immediately after the president issued the Work, Duty and Performance Methods of Constitutional Council ordinance, and the money would be available, too but at the same the Election Commission needs to start off making preparations for the prerequisites such as the administrative preparation, repair of the printing machine, arrangement of ballot boxes, and so on, according to the ‘gorkhapatra’ news of today.
Home and Foreign Minister Madhav Preasad Ghimire went to see President of NC Sushil Koirala at his Maharajgunj residence yesterday seeking his cooperation on holding elections in June. President of NC Koirala in turn told the minister that the only agenda of today was to hold independent, fearless, and impartial elections; so, the IEC needed to focus its entire work on this matter, according to the ‘gorkhapata’ news of today.
Speaking at an event held by ‘Rakta Sanchar Club of Bhaktapur in Bhaktapur yesterday, Chairman of Nepal Bar Association Hari Krishna Karki said that elections would not be possible if the Chairman of IEC Khil Raj Regmi did not quit the office of the Chief Justice, according to the ‘gorkhapatra’ news of today. Chairman Karki also said that the Bar has repeatedly urged the Chief Justice not to take over the office of the Chairman of the IEC without quitting the office of the Chief Justice but ignoring the Bar, Chief Justice Regmi took the office of the Chairman of the IEC. Mr. Karki also charged Regmi with acting for his personal interest rather than for the national. Consequently, political leaders have got the chance of playing with the judiciary; so, it is necessary to force Regmi out of the office of the Chief Justice, said Mr. Karki.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the first general convention of the National Independent Youth Forum in Kathmandu yesterday, Central Secretary of CPN-Maoist-Vaidhya Netra Vikram Chanda said that the IEC presided over by Khil Raj Regmi was illegal, as the four parties had formed it under the instructions of foreigners, according to the ‘gorkhapatra’ news of today.
