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Prepare for both polls together, Deuba tells EC
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has asked the Election Commission to make necessary preparations for holding both the provincial and federal polls at one go.Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has asked the Election Commission to make necessary preparations for holding both the provincial and federal polls at one go.
The PM’s statement comes amid the Election Commission’s call to announce the date of the provincial and federal parliamentary elections by August 17. EC office bearers met Deuba on Monday and urged him to schedule the elections soon.
The PM clarified that holding the elections together was necessary to ensure timely polls for meeting the constitutional deadline and also to cut costs, said PM’s senior press coordinator Govinda Pariyar.
When EC officials pressed for endorsement of two election-related laws, Deuba claimed that the laws would pass Parliament soon. Besides, the Constituency Delimitation Commission would submit its report on the stipulated time. The CDC report is a must for holding federal and provincial polls.
The EC also asked the government to decide immediately whether to adopt electronic voting as it needs time to train people on the use of electronic voting machines. Deuba asked if the EC would be able to conclude the procurement process and voter education in a short span of time.
According to Election Commissioner Ila Sharma, they stressed voters’ right to reject the candidates, in line with a Supreme Court verdict. The commissioners also urged the PM to guarantee the voting right of the Nepali citizens living abroad.
“We may not implement such provision immediately but the law should open the door for EC to make arrangements for involving Nepalis living abroad in the polls in future,” she said.