“The Interim Election Council will announce a poll date in a way that it would not have to be deferred,” said a highly placed source on condition of anonymity. [break]
Asked about concerns being raised by some political parties over the delay in announcement of a poll date, the source argued, “It is the Election Commission (EC) which should recommend a poll date but the constitutional body has not made any recommendation so far.”
EC has said that there would be no point in announcing a poll date until there is an environment conducive to elections. Top EC officials had made such a remark during a meeting with members of the High Level Political Committee on Saturday last week.
However, Regmi´s Press Advisor Bimal Gautam said that the Interim Election Council has been holding discussions with political parties and EC on several election related ordinances.
Asked when the Interim Election Council would announce an election date, Minister for Law and Justice Hari Neupane said, “I cannot precisely tell you when election date will be announced. But the government is not in favor of delaying polls.”
EC has forwarded three ordinances -- ordinance on amending Election of Members of the Constituent Assembly Act, 2013, ordinance on amending Electoral Rolls Act, 2013 and ordinance on amending Election Commission Act, 2013 -- to the Interim Election Council.
Though EC has said that it will recommend a poll date to the Interim Election Council after the election related ordinances are approved, sources said the constitutional body would come up with arguments on why polls would not be possible by June.
“We cannot say that polls are not possible but the government has neither announced any poll date, nor do we have necessary laws in place to conduct the polls,” said a top EC official requesting anonymity.
EC officials said that they would have to compromise on various aspects, including credibility and participation of parties, among other issues, if polls are held by June.
“We must update the voter list with photographs and biometrics,” said the EC official, adding, “At the same time it must be ensured that no party disrupts the polls.”
The constitutional body is likely to resume updating voter list after a week simultaneously with the distribution of citizenship certificates by mobile teams to be deployed by the home ministry.
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Govt won't announce poll date in haste: Regmi
