CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that current election procedure of Nepal is very expensive, hence, it should be changed. He said that one can participate in the elections only with the assistance of smugglers.

Talking to journalists at Hetauda on Friday, Dahal, also the former prime minister, said that the current election system is very expensive, poor cannot afford to field him/herself in the elections as millions of rupees have to be spent to take part in the elections.

“Only rich and one having illegal income can participate in the elections. So, this system has to be changed,” said Dahal.

Dahal also stressed on fully proportional election system and directly elected executive head.

The Maoist supremo said that his party could not emerge as the largest political force in the first and second phases of local level elections due to numerous party split in the past. “Maoist Centre will be the third strongest party from the upcoming elections,” he said.

Although the jumbo Cabinet of incumbent Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government is not good for the country, Dahal, who led the decade-long Maoist insurgency, said that it is for short term as the country is passing through the last stage of transitional phase.

The Maoist leader said that this type of practice will be eliminated once the constitution is fully implemented.

Meanwhile, the district coordination committee submitted a memorandum to Dahal demanding Hetauda be established as the capital of Province 3.

The coordination committee Chairman Raghunath Khulal said that Hetauda is suitable to make the provincial capital due to its physical infrastructure, road network, land topography, weather and political tolerance among other factors.

Dahal seemed positive towards the demand and said that the he will think about the matter after holding discussions with other parties.