The failure to hold the local polls by April next year could hurt the plans to hold three other elections before the tenure of Parliament ends on January 21, 2018, the Election Commission has said.

Although Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed, at a meeting of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party on Wednesday, holding the local elections by Mid-April, the government is yet to announce the date.

Instead, clouds of uncertainty hang over the vote after the government registered a constitution amendment bill at the Parliament Secretariat on Tuesday which has 

sparked protests in several parts of the country. Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav said that elections for provincial assemblies, Federal Parliament and the National Assembly would be difficult if the local elections are not held by April-end.

“There are just two windows to hold the four elections—from April to June and September to November—as the polls cannot be held in the rainy season and winter,” he said. “So it is necessary that local level elections are held as soon as possible.”

If the local level elections are held by April-end, the EC says it could hold the state elections by the third week of June. Then, elections for the National Assembly could be held between mid-September and mid-October while the Federal Parliament could be elected by the third week of November next year.

Most of the preparations for the local polls would help the holding of other elections shortly afterwards, said Yadav.

However, the EC sees a slim chance of the local elections being held by mid-April given the fluid political situation created after the registration of the constitution amendment bill.

The main opposition, UML, has launched protests in the streets and Parliament against the amendment bill. The Madhes-based parties also do not own up the bill introduced to address their demands.

Yadav said a favourable environment and the legal tools are necessary for conducting the local elections, both of which are lacking at the moment.

The Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws related to the Election Commission, Bill Related to Voters’ List, and Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to Political Parties are being discussed at the State Affairs Committee of Parliament. But the government is yet to register the Bill on Local Elections and the Bill on Election Fraud and Punishment.

According to Yadav, confusion among the parties over whether the local polls should be held in the old local structure or a new one has also made timely local elections uncertain.

The new local units—municipal and village councils—are yet to be demarcated. The Local Level Restructuring Commission is struggling to finalise its recommendations.

Electronic voting not feasible in upcoming vote: EC

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission has said there is a little chance of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) being used in the local elections planned to be held by April next year considering a large number of parties and candidates that will contest the polls.

Due to a large number of parties participating in the second Constituent Assembly polls, the EC had failed to use the EVMs in the 2013 elections.

“Hardly any discussion has taken place for the use of such machines in the local elections,” Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav told the Post.

EVMs were first used in the country during the 2008 CA elections. In the by-elections the following year, the EC had used EVMs in six constituencies in Dhanusha, Morang, Kaski, Kanchanpur and Rolpa districts.

In the first CA elections, a total of 56 parties were in the fray. Their number rose to 122 in the second CA elections. The EVMs provided by India for the polls could only handle a maximum of 64 parties. At least 107 parties will contest the next elections. More parties could be registered before the election date, further increasing the number. In the absence of a vote threshold for representation in Parliament, even the parties with small mass base could win proportional electoral seats. (PR)