At a meeting on Monday, the HLPC, which offers suggestions to the interim election government on crucial political issues, recommended to the technocratic government to constitute the commission as voices have been raised from various quarters calling for a new delineation.[break]
The Supreme Court on April 17 had handed down a ruling ordering the government to delineate the constituencies again before conducting fresh polls for the CA.
"Secondly, the meeting decided to intensify talks with various dissident groups so as to create an environment conducive to elections and to call on the government to fix the poll date," Nepali Congress (NC) leader Ram Sharan Mahat told reporters while emerging from the meeting.
The HLPC comprises leaders from UCPN (Maoist), the NC, CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The chiefs of these parties head the political committee for a month each on rotation basis.
Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist, Upendra Yadav´s Madhesi People´s Rights Forum, Sarat Singh Bhandari-led National Madhes Socialist Party, Ashok Rai´s Federal Socialist Party and various fringe parties have announced a boycott of polls to be conducted by the present government.
While other parties are holding negotiations with a government talks team, the Baidya-led party has ruled out any such dialogue with the government or the HLPC. Terming the government as well as the political committee unconstitutional and illegitimate, Baidya has rejected talks offers from both bodies.
The big four leaders decided to hold bilateral talks with dissident groups in view of the Baidya-led party´s refusal to negotiate with the government and the HLPC.
"The four sides will hold separate bilateral talks with the dissident parties including the CPN-Maoist in the next two days," UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayakaji Shrestha told Republica. "The next meeting of the HLPC on May 16 will discuss the issues based on the response we receive from the dissident sides."
According to Shrestha, the meeting didn´t take any decision regarding the dissident parties´ preconditions. "We will first study their genuine concerns and try to identify the preconditions that we can address," he said.
The constituent parties of the HLPC are themselves divided over some crucial provisions in the proposed election-related laws. They didn´t discuss these issues either at the meeting. According to Shrestha, they decided to settle their differences after holding talks with the dissidents.
The parties have disputed the provisions proposed by the Election Commission. As per the proposed criteria, a political party must secure at least one percent of the total valid vote cast in the election to secure a seat in the constituent assembly under the proportional quota. Another provision requires that an aspirant with a criminal past can file his/her candidacy only six years after that person has served the jail term imposed by a court of law.
Similarly, the new ordinance proposes to downsize the previous 601-member CA to 491-members.
While the UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties as well as fringe groups have stood against the proposed provisions, NC and CPN-UML have lobbied in favor.
Most of the dissident parties are also against the proposed provisions.
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