KATHMANDU, Dec 9: Main opposition CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that the government should resign if it fails to immediately announce the date for holding elections. 

Speaking at a function held at the party central office at Dhumbarai on Thursday, Oli said that the government has no other duty than finalizing the election related laws and holding the elections as provisioned by the new Constitution.

He came down heavily on the government for failing to announce the date for local elections.

“This government was not formed to rule the country; it was formed to hold the elections and pave the way for ending the transition,” said Oli. “The government does not have the right to stay on in power any longer if it fails to finalize the election-related bills and announce the poll date.”
 

Oli was of the view that the Nepali Congress (NC)-CPN (Maoist Center) ruling coalition has failed to run a government. “The engine of the government has already stalled, but the UML will not join it any time soon,” he said. 

Refuting claims made by the government, Oli argued that the amendment bill will not help conduct the elections. “Which article of the constitution deters the government from holding elections?" he asked. "Which proposed amendments to which articles are related to elections?” 

Meanwhile, he also claimed that the load-shedding has ended in Kathmandu thanks to his plan and the agreement reached between Nepal and India when he was in office. During his India visit last year, the government forged an agreement with the Indiams on the supply of 100 megawatts to Nepal, he said.

“The government has not solved the power-cut problem through any magic; the problem ended in the course of implementation of my plan,” said Oli. 

Coming down hard on the Maoists, Oli said he was surprised to see almost 4,000 central committee members in their party. “I was wondering if the party even has so many cadres across the country, but now I know that it has nominated all its cadres as central committee members,” he said. Expressing ire at some mass media, he further claimed that the Maoists have been running some media through the investment of looted money, just to criticize the UML. 

As many as 92 individuals, including five central committee members of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), were given membership of the CPN-UML at the function.

 
• kp sharma oli
 
• local polls. constitution amendment bill