Miscellaneous
Parties divided over choice of poll modality
Even as the three major forces—Maoist Centre, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML—have agreed on holding local elections soon, differences remain within the parties over the choice of poll modality—new federal structure or the existing one.Sarin Ghimire
Even as the three major forces—Maoist Centre, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML—have agreed on holding local elections soon, differences remain within the parties over the choice of poll modality—new federal structure or the existing one.
The ruling coalition itself seems at odds over holding local polls in accordance to the report presented by the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC), which is likely to submit its work within a couple of days, or go for local polls under the prevailing composition.
Ruling coalition partner Nepali Congress and the main opposition UML are positive on holding polls under the existing structure. NC leaders consider such a move as the safest way to hold polls in time considering the uncertainties surrounding the new structure and disputes that have surfaced in many districts while restructuring.
Instead of rushing with the work of the restructuring commission to hold the elections under the new structure, the LLRC should be given ample time to make necessary preparations, said NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat.
“In fact, I initiated the discussion with the main opposition on holding local polls under the existing structure. We need to give autonomy to the local bodies. Under that pretext, we need to make sure we have a sound administrative base with sufficient manpower and infrastructure, which will take time,” said Mahat.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba has repeatedly stated that his party was open to holding polls under the current structure by taking the current Village Development Committees as Village Councils.
Local polls were last held in May 1997.
The UML, too, sees holding local polls under the existing structure as a last ditch effort to ensure three-tier polls—local, provincial and federal—within January 2018 as stipulated by the government. UML’s deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Nembang stated that party’s bottom line was to hold polls at any cost.
“If we talk about going with the spirit of the statute, it is more appropriate to hold polls in the new structure,” Nembang said. “But since the government is dilly-dallying on it, we have no option but to go for polls under the existing structure.”
UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has also repeatedly underscored the need to hold
polls to institutionalise the constitution.
The LLRC, which had earlier stated to submit its final report by Thursday, has not been able to carve out a blueprint for local units in Province 2 due to lack of cooperation from the Madhes-based parties. As well as dismissing commission’s criteria of carving out local units, they maintain on addressing the row over provincial boundaries before carrying out the local level restructuring work.
The Maoist Centre, however, is a divided house on the matter. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Wednesday that local polls would be held under the existing structure, but a majority of the party leaders are against the idea.
They are of the view that conducting local polls under the current composition would be against the principles of the constitution.
“We will again have to go through unnecessary hassles to amend the constitution to hold polls as it is,” said Maoist Centre Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
He admitted that they were ready to make a compromise for the sake of timely elections, but noted that it would more practical to hold polls under the new structure for the effective implementation of the constitution.
‘Local polls under old structure’
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the local body elections will be held under the existing structures.
“Local elections will be held under the old structure as three major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhes—have agreed in principle on the matter,” PM Dahal told a press meet in Lahan on Wednesday, reiterating that holding elections was a major objective of his second tenure as the country’s executive head.
In another context, Dahal said that the constitution amendment proposal registered in Parliament would not be revoked at any cost. But the proposal could be revised as demanded by Madhesi parties, he said. According to Dahal, who is also the chief of CPN (Maoist Centre), talks are on with the main opposition party and Madhes-based forces to forge a consensus to endorse the amendment bill.
Dahal termed the protest launched against the amendment proposal by the UML as unfortunate. The Maoist chairman arrived in the district to attend a wedding reception of party leader Matrika Prasad Yadav’s son.