The Nepali Congress has voiced concerns over the government’s intentions to announce its plan to hold three elections within the next 18 months, claiming that they were not possible without demarcation of provincial boundaries, local body restructuring and addressing the grievances of the agitating Madhes-based parties.

The government on Thursday unveiled its plan to hold local body elections by December 2016, state assembly elections in April-May 2017 and federal parliament polls by December 2017.

On Friday, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba suggested that the government first prepare the report on restructuring the local bodies by next month before it starts talking about holding the local polls by December.

“All elections are necessary for the implementation of the constitution. If we wait till March next year for the report on structuring local bodies but hold the polls this December, we will again have to hold another round of local polls after the report. What is the need to hold polls only for three months?” the former prime minister questioned during a press meet in Nepalgunj on Friday.

The government has formed a local body restructuring commission as per the constitutional requirement to determine the number and borders of Village and Municipal Councils. The commission has until March 2017 to submit its report.

Stressing that the constitution was promulgated under the NC’s leadership, Deuba said the onus on implementing the statute also lied on the party. “We will take initiatives to take the agitating Madhesi parties on board before we go for the polls,” said Deuba.

According to the roadmap presented by the government, it has proposed forming a commission to redraw the federal boundaries by mid-August, which will submit its report by mid-November. The government also targets to complete demarcation of electoral constituencies by mid-January 2017 to hold state assembly and federal parliament elections.

NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel accused the government of trying to get cheap publicity by unilaterally moving ahead with the polls. “We need to formulate hundreds of new laws and restructure the bodies as per the constitution. National consensus among the major parties is a must for that,” said Poudel at a programme in the Capital on Friday.

Both Deuba and Poudel had last week separately called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Baluwatar to seek consensus among the parties, including bringing the Madhesi forces on board, before bringing the roadmap for elections. Both the leaders also urged Oli to stretch out their hands to the Madhesi Morcha that has gone on a relay hunger strike for the past 10 days to exert pressure on the government to address their demands.

Mahat flays ‘passive’ govt

NUWAKOT: Former finance minister and Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat came down heavily against the government saying that the earthquake survivors had not got the housing reconstruction aid. Speaking at a protest programme in the district on Friday, Mahat charged that the government had been passive in addressing urgent needs of the people.