It has been two months since the formation of the election government, but the new election date has still not been announced. Why so?
There are some basics which need to be met before announcing an election date. The first of those is having election-related laws in place. Various groups have opposed our draft ordinance on amendment of the Election of Members of the Constituent Assembly Act, 2013. They believe the proposed ordinance doesn’t represent their interests and could dilute their presence in the future legislature. This issue still awaits political understanding. But also remember that in the history of Nepal, the date of election has never been announced more than six months in advance. Thus despite differences among political forces on many election-related issues, we are confident there will soon be some kind of an understanding and an election date can be announced.
How does not having a fixed election date affect poll preparations?
Mainly, the Election Commission needs the requisite electoral laws to clear the hurdles towards timely polls. Such laws will help people understand the nitty-gritty of election and allow political parties to plan their electoral strategy accordingly. But by and large it does not affect the Election Commission’s poll preparations. What the announcement of a date will do is convince people that there will actually be polls and they will start preparing for it psychologically. Yet I believe that it would be wise to announce a date only after the political parties can agree on electoral laws. Announcing a poll date in haste without solid political grounding could invite more problems in the future.
BHASHWOR OJHA/REPUBLICA
Why have differences emerged over electoral laws? Didn’t the Election Commission consult relevant stakeholders before proposing such laws?
The 25-point ordinance to remove constitutional difficulties had stipulated 240 seats under FPTP component and 240 seats under PR component, with 11 representatives to be nominated in the new CA. The Election Commission drafted its electoral laws with this as its point of departure. But the Election Commission did propose certain improvements like a minimal threshold for representation in the CA. The other proposal was to bar those with proven criminal background from contesting election for six years. We also want the electoral expenses of the political parties to be transparent. All these proposals, each of which has strong international precedent, would strengthen the democratic process. But ultimately, it is up to the political parties to decide.
How would you evaluate your preparations for new CA polls?
Our preparations are in full swing. The most important task of voter list update is taking place right across the country. We hope to complete the process in all remote areas in the next two months, after which the urban hubs will be covered. At the same time, the Home Ministry has been distributing citizenship certificates in conjunction with the voter list update. The process of registration of political parties with the Election Commission has also started, with 24 parties registering so far.
Do you have enough time to complete necessary preparations ahead of the November-December deadline?
Yes, we do. But we cannot afford to waste time. Look what happened in the past when we kept delaying vital poll-related tasks. Election had to be postponed time and again. But we are also capable of holding free and fair polls in a very short time. In 1994, we had just 65 days to prepare for the mid-term parliamentary election, yet we managed it. But back then we had clear electoral laws and readymade electoral rolls. There was law and order and compared to now, the security situation was a lot better as well.
Talking about security situation, there were obstructions in voter roll update sometime ago. What is the situation now?
There were some obstructions at the start, but right now the joint citizenship-voter registration team has been carrying outs its duty unhindered.
When will a new election date be announced?
The announcement of a new date is the prerogative of the government. It is not for the Election Commission to decide.
But haven’t you given the government some kind of a deadline?
No, we haven’t. What we have been demanding are clear electoral laws. I believe that once these laws can be finalized, the election date can be settled in no time. The most time-consuming task is voter roll update, which is forging ahead full steam. I don’t believe we will be pressed for time even if there is a little delay in announcement of poll date. Having said that, I believe it is important that people are assured that there will definitely be polls within the scheduled time.
Won’t the delineation of new electoral constituencies be time-consuming?
I believe that this is largely a political issue. Once the political question is settled, technically, it is not time consuming at all. Even if there are changes, they will be few, and the total number of electoral constituencies will remain around 240, the number in the last CA polls. If new electoral constituencies can be delineated even two months prior to the poll date, we should not have a problem.
There are rumors that the Election Commission has already reached an understanding with political parties not to change any of the important provisions in the last CA polls, including the size of the CA.
There has been no such understanding. We have proposed certain amendments to existing electoral laws, which the government has been discussing with other stakeholders. There has been no final decision as of now. Certain groups have raised issues about the likelihood of their reduced representation in the new CA polls (if the one percent threshold is followed). Ultimately, it is a political decision. Our concerns as a technical body mandated to hold free and fair polls are valid today and will remain so tomorrow. Even so, if any of our proposals are unacceptable under the current circumstances, the government should say so. We should settle on what is feasible at present, and with that understanding, settle a new poll date at the earliest.
The Election Commission has reportedly been talking with dissident outfits like Mohan Baidya’s CPN-Maoist directly after they refused to talk to the government. Is that the case?
We have been holding discussions with all stakeholders: the political parties, civil society, those who support this government and those who oppose it. We have been trying to convince the dissenting forces that in a democratic system, there is no alternative to going to the people. For this purpose, the Election Commission is their common platform. Remember that the Election Commission can only assure free and fair election. Anything more is beyond its ambit.
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