The president´s move on Tuesday comes in the wake of the political parties represented in the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) deciding to expedite the election process following their failure on Monday to reach any deal with the Mohan Baidya-led alliance over the fresh CA poll scheduled for November 19.[break]
A cabinet meeting held earlier in the day approved the six-point ordinance reached between HLPC and the Upendra Yadav-led Federal Democratic Front (FDF) and a five-point agreement reached with Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party (FSP). The government then forwarded the ordinance with a view to incorporating the agreements reached by the HLPC with the two political entities to increase the CA seats to 601 as in the erstwhile CA.
According to a press statement issued by the President´s Office, the ordinance endorsed as per Article 158 of the Interim Constitution now has a provision for electing 240 members under the first past the post (FPTP) system and 335 members under a proportional electoral system, with 26 others to be selected by the cabinet. This clears the decks for the FDF and FSP to join the electoral process.
Earlier, the parties in the HLPC had decided to reduce the CA size to 491 with a provision to elect 240 members each under FPTP and the proportional system and nominate 11 others through the cabinet. This was in response to criticism from various quarters that the erstwhile CA was unusually large.
Tuesday´s development came after the Mohan Baidya-led alliance insisted that the November 19 poll be deferred to April and the chairman of the poll government step down from the post of chief justice. The parties in the HLPC decided to expedite the election process after concluding that the Baidya-led alliance was bent on foiling the November poll.
The government, which had put on hold the ordinance for amending the 25-point presidential decree in the hope of reaching a deal with the Baidya-led alliance, forwarded the ordinance after top leaders in the HLPC informed Chairman Regmi about the outcome of their crucial negotiations Monday with the Baidya alliance. The leaders also asked the government to gear up election preparations.
During the meeting held at Regmi´s official residence at Baluwatar, Chairman Regmi told the party leaders that the government was committed to holding the poll in the stipulated time. "The government will exercise due patience to maintain law and order for the poll," a leader present at the meeting quoted Regmi as saying.
Sources said the HLPC leaders and the government also held discussions briefly about holding the CA election in two phases in view of security challenges that may be posed by the agitating parties. The government is mulling the possibility of holding the poll in all the hill districts on the scheduled date of November 19 and in the remaining districts one or two weeks later.
The decision of the government and the HLPC to go ahead with the November poll even without the Baidya-led alliance has, however, drawn criticism from within the parties represented in the HLPC. "Khil Raj Regmi should be prepared to resign from the post of chief justice if that brings the Baidya-led alliance into the poll. Regmi should not be a hurdle if that gives an outlet to the country," said NC leader Gagan Thapa.
Leaders involved in the negotiations dismissed such suggestions, arguing that the real intent of the Baidya alliance in seeking Regmi´s resignation as CJ was to foil the November poll.
HLPC leaders asks EC to extend nomination deadline
After asking the government to expedite the election process, top leaders of the HLPC had reached the Election Commission to ask for a push back for a few days of the deadline for candidate nominations.
The leaders made the request in view of the many political parties within the Baidya-led alliance showing interest in joining the poll process. Sources said the political parties in the alliance that have already registered with the EC are prepared to join the election process even if the demand of their alliance for deferal of the poll and the resignation of Regmi as CJ are not met.
The leaders, while appraising Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety of the outcome of their talks with the Baidya alliance on Monday, had asked him to consider deferring the election nomination deadline for two to four days. "We said that we cannot say anything immediately. We will have to look at the election calendar of events first," Uprety told Republica.
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