After the Election Commission (EC)’s nod to conduct elections of provincial assemblies and federal parliament on the same date, three major parties have said third week of November would be the best time.

Leaders said the government would declare the date for the polls by Sunday and that they would be held most probably on November 20. 

The Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) on Thursday evening held a meeting with all five election officials at Baluwatar to discuss the possibility of holding both the major polls on the same date. 

The EC on Wednesday only had communicated to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba that holding both the polls together would be difficult in view of time constraint; lack of laws and Constituency Delimitation Commission (CDC) report; and human resource and logistical issues. 

The CDC was on Monday given 15 days to complete its task of downsizing the number of constituencies to 165 from the existing 240. 

The EC has also sought poll related laws within Monday. But the bills related to the elections are pending in the State Affairs Committee of Parliament. With dozens of proposals registered by lawmakers of different parties seeking amendments to the bills, it is not sure whether poll laws could be enacted by Monday. Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal said the government would sort out the issues after consulting with the EC.

Earlier the EC had proposed holding the two polls in two phases—on November 20 in Hill and mountain areas and on December 7 in the Tarai. But parties were for holding them together. 

Election-related bills stuck in SAC

Even as the government prepares to announce the date for elections of federal parliament and provincial assemblies, the parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) is struggling to finalise the bills related to the polls.

The country must hold both the elections by January next year. 

Lawmakers have registered 42 proposals seeking amendments to the Bill related to Election of Federal Parliament. The Bill related to Election of Provincial Assemblies has received 35 amendment proposals. SAC has to finalise these two bills before sending them to Parliament, which will then enact laws for the two elections. The Election Commission has long been saying it is pressed for time and that it wants election-related laws at the earliest. The major contention in SAC is threshold and reservation for women.  Women lawmakers from different parties have registered proposals seeking amendments to the bills, demanding 40 percent seats in provincial assemblies and 33 percent seats in federal parliament.