The government has requested the Supreme Court (SC) to vacate its May 26 interim order against a Cabinet decision to increase the number of local level units in Tarai districts.

The government on May 22 had decided to add 22 local units in 12 Tarai districts in line with the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal’s demand so as to ensure the agitating party’s participation in the second phase of local elections scheduled for June 28. But a division bench of Justices Ishwor Khatiwada and Sapana Pradhan Malla stayed the move, saying increasing number of local units in between the two phases of polls would be against Article 295 (3) of the constitution and Clause 4 of Local Level Election Act 2017. 

The decision to increase the number of local units in districts along the plains had come a week after the first phase of elections was held for 283 local units in Provinces 3, 4 and 6. 

Increasing the number of local units in Tarai districts is one of the preconditions put forth by the RJP-P for participating in the polls. 

“If the SC decides to take the request into consideration, it will pave the way for the government to implement its decision, thereby making it easier to bring the agitating parties on board the poll process,” said Attorney General Raman Kumar Shrestha.

The government formally requested the SC on June 5 to vacate its earlier order. 

According to AG Shrestha, the government has also drawn the SC’s attention to the context and the situation in which elections are being held, saying the move aimed at bringing all the parties on board the poll process.