Confirming widespread apprehension, Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi has now clearly indicated that CA polls are not possible by June. The government is not going to fix election date in haste, Regmi said on Monday, adding that there was no point in announcing a date without creating the ground for elections. He has a point. Regmi was responding to UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s self-serving accusation that the government was needlessly dillydallying in announcing a poll date. Dahal had gone so far as to accuse the government of conspiring to defer the polls until winter. On cue, Regmi reminded the country that the government is constitutionally bound to hold new elections by mid-December.
When the four political forces decided to form an election government under the Chief Justice, they had clearly reached an understanding that elections could be held by mid-December, if it could not in June owing to unforeseeable circumstances. Not only the political leaders involved in the deal, but the general people also had little hope that election would be held in June, given the enormous challenges. Still, if all the stakeholders had acted with the needed urgency, it certainly was possible, and would have been in the country’s best interest. But it wasn’t meant to be. Distribution of citizenship certificates as demanded by Madheshi parties, updating voters’ registration with photo ID and other legal arrangements, they are all time consuming exercises.
These are the technicalities the government and the Election Commission are working on to ensure fair and free polls. Announcing the date for the election without creating a proper environment in this regard would be counterproductive. History advises caution: The Baburam Bhattarai-led government announced the election date, twice, but failed to hold polls each time.
The Big Four need to start talking to the parties outside the election fold that are threatening to boycott poll.
We believe the ball is now firmly in the court of the Big Four in the High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM). They need to earnestly start talking to the parties outside the election fold. CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baidya, Upendra Yadav-led Madheshi People’s Rights Forum-Nepal and Federal Socialist Party led by Ashok Rai are some of the major political forces which have vowed not only to boycott polls, but also to disrupt them. This is an alarming prospect. A boycott would not have been a major cause of concern if it were regular parliamentary polls. But this is the election of the body which will draft a new constitution, and participation of most political forces is crucial.
Therefore, instead of accusing the government and the EC of not doing enough, the leaders need to pull up their socks. Again, first and the foremost, the HLPM should try to convince the disgruntled parties to sit for talks and start negotiating with them in earnest. The role of the Interim Election Council and the Election Commission should be limited to ensuring free and fair election. It is up to the political parties to create an environment favorable for election. Without bringing the disgruntled parties on board, that would not be possible, whether in June or in December.
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