KATHMANDU, June 11: After repeated failure to reach consensus on disputed issues relating to election laws, four major political forces represented in the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) on Monday decided to entrust the government with the responsibility to settle the row on contentious issues.
An HLPC meeting held at New Baneshwar on Monday decided to apprise Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi of their respective stances on various disputed issues and ask the government to take ´necessary decisions´ on the issues. [break]
The four political forces -- UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) -- are at odds mainly over the eligibility threshold and barring of candidates with criminal backgrounds.
Talking to media persons after the HLPC meeting, UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said though they could not forge consensus on the disputed issues the parties agreed to entrust the government to take necessary decisions to pass the election-related ordinances at the earliest. "However, we have decided to inform the government about our respective stances on the disputed issues," said Shrestha.
The decision by the major parties comes in the wake of Chairman Regmi-led poll government asking them to settle all contentious issues relating to election laws in view of the time constraint and people´s sentiments. The government has been unable to announce an election date due to the delay in amending the electoral laws.
On April 2, Election Commission (EC) had forwarded an election-related ordinance on amending Election to the Members of Constituent Assembly Act 2013 to the government for endorsement through President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. As the parties expressed reservations over some of the provisions in the ordinance, the government had asked them to settle the differences and arrive at consensus.
Regmi´s press advisor Bimal Gautam said the government will take decision keeping in view the suggestions that have come from various fringe parties and pressures groups on election-related issues.
Gautam said the government will ´soon´ forward the election-related ordinance to the Office of the President after taking a appropriate decisions on them. "The government will announce date for fresh election once election related ordinances are approved by the president," he said.
The HLPC meeting had failed to take decision on the issues as Nepali Congress and CPN-UML insisted strongly on eligibility threshold for seat allocations under proportional representation system while UCPN (Maoist) and UDMF had stood against the idea. The parties were also at odds over whether to bar candidates with criminal backgrounds from contesting the election, and disclosure of property details of individual cndidates before the elections.
On Sunday, UML in a last ditch effort to bring the parties to consensus had even proposed that a party should either win at least one seat under first past the post system or garner 0.67 percent of the total votes cast to be eligible for seat allocations under proportional representation system. NC supported the UML proposal but the UCPN (Maoist) and UDMF opposed it.
Vice-chairman of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP), a constituent party of the UDMF, Hridayesh Tripathi said Monday´s agreement at the HLPC meeting has paved way for the government to work toward finalizing the election-related ordinance. "Now that they have asked the government to settle the issue, it will be wrong for any of those parties to protest whatever the decision is taken by the government" he said.
The HLPC meeting, however, reached an understanding to retain 2-5 percent threshold for the election to be held for parliament after promulgation of the new constittution by the Constituent Assembly, according to UML leader Raghuji Panta.
Related story
EC asks NA poll candidates to submit poll expenditure details
