KATHMANDU, June 5: The Supeme Court on Monday ordered the Election Commisison not to implement its decision to conduct a re-poll in Bharatpur-19 until Sunday.
A single bench of Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued an order to this effect to the election body and the government both.
Responding to a writ petititon filed jointly by Gunjaman BK and advocate Tulsiram Pandey, the SC bench ordered the respondents to furnish clarifications why they are opting for a re-election.
75% voter turnout in Bharatpur repoll; 27 votes less than befor...
“An interim order has been issued to the Election Commisison and the govenrment asking them not to implement the decision to conduct a re-election until Sunday,” said SC Spoksperson Mahendranath Upadhyay following prelimiary hearings.
Spoksperson Upadhyay said both the government and the Election Commisison have been summoned before the court for Sunday for discussions before issuing a verdict. The discussions will focus on whether to resume vote counting in Bharatpur-19 or go for fresh polls.
Advocates Shambhu Thapa, Ravi Narayan Aryal, Shatis Krishna Kharel, Govind Bandi and Tikaram Bhattarai are among those who have demadned resumption of vote count.
They argued that the vote counting center was not in fact seized by anyone and instead it was a plot aimed at electing Renu Dahal, daugher of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, as mayor of Bharatpur through the misuse of state agencies.
They also argued that the Bharatpur incident would set a wrong precendent for the upcomming elections and the election body would be unable to conduct any elections if those facing a defeat at the polls start resorting to tearing up the ballot papers.
BK and Pandey had moved the apex court after the Election Commisison decided to conduct re-elections in Bharatpur-19. The ballot papers were torn by Maoist representatives just when the vote counting was about to be completed.
Out of 29 wards in Bharatpur, the poll officers have completed vote count for 27 wards and the UML candidate was leading with 41,641 votes. Maoist candidate Dahal was trailing with 40,908 votes. The Maoists fielded Dahal as mayoral candidate after making an electoral arrangement with the Nepali Congress.
Even as the election body has said it has no option but to go for a re-poll in Bharatpur, the main opposition CPN-UML has accused the govenrment of hatching a plot to block the UML candiate from winning. The main oppostion has been accusing the EC and local poll ofifcers of working in the interests of the ruluing parties.
