CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY POLLS
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Gathering Doubts
PM Koirala makes an unimpressive plea to the EC to go ahead with the polls come what may
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
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PM Koirala : Abnormal position |
Less than a week after he said that “abnormal elections” will be held on “abnormal situation,” Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala – who is seemingly under intense pressure to conduct the Constituent Assembly elections by mid-June come what may – made a fervent plea to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on Monday morning appealing him to go ahead with the poll plans.
At a meeting called by the CEC to warn the political leaders, and possibly to urge them to consider giving some more time, the PM pre-empted him by requesting to speak first.
In his brief speech at the EC in front of all the top leaders of eight parties including Maoist chairman Prachanda, PM Koirala said that the CA elections could still be held on stipulated time if all the parties and the government worked in tandem. “If the elections are postponed it will affect not only the government’s image but also that of eight parties and the EC. So let us not do that,” he said.
PM Koirala’s speech effectively sealed the lips of CEC who later made a speech asking the parties to provide legislative, political and security support if the polls are to be held within next two and a half months.
At the same program, Maoist chairman Prachanda said his party seriously takes note of the pleas made by the EC.
“We would like to welcome PM Koirala’s commitment to hold the polls on time. If the CA polls are not held on time, we are concerned that it could unleash further anarchy in the country,” said Prachanda.
The general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal went to the extent of asking the EC to “shorten procedures” to hold the polls on time. “I am angry with the parties for failing to live up to the commitments,” he added.
Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of Nepali Congress – Democratic, however, said that there was no possibility that there would be a fearless environment – a prerequisite for any credible elections. But, he too added that the polls had to be held on time.
As politicians expressed their inability to postpone the polls, the CEC was left with no option but to list his demands.
CEC Dr. Bhoj Raj Pokharel stated that the delay in the formulation of electoral legislations, lack of fixation of date of elections, lack of code of conduct, lack of clarity on the number of constituencies and lack of preparations for holding polls on two separate ballot papers were hindering the EC’s movement ahead. He also stated that the current situation of law and order were not up to the mark to allow for the free and fair polls.
Dr. Pokharel said no protest, bandh or strike should be announced after the declaration of elections date.
Even though it has become quite clear that the EC is not going to be able to hold the CA elections by mid-June, the politicians still have not mustered up enough courage to speak the truth as they fear public backlash for being inefficient. Out of the six required electoral legislations only one has been enacted, four are under discussions in the parliament while one has just been tabled.
It is said that the registration of parties itself will take two months to complete. And there is a huge shortfall in security personnel required for the elections. The voters’ education campaign have not been started yet. The process of registering voters have not been completed. The EC is to start the second phase of registration from March 23. The registration campaign will be launched in 58 VDCs of mountainous region between March 23 and April 17. The CEC has informed that even third phase of registration might be necessary.
The EC has already said that the polls programs must be published by the end of April to make it possible to hold elections by mid-June. The sheer volume of tasks ahead is going render it technically impossible to hold the polls by mid-June.
“It is quite clear that the elections cannot be held by mid-June. One must not rush into elections without adequate preparations. It would be better if people are told the facts and elections held in Kartik or Mangsir (September/October),” said Pradeep Giri, a senior NC-Democratic leader at a talk program Disha Nirdesh in Nepal Television.
However, the leaders have mysteriously been saying that the elections will be held on time and preparations will be made on a war-footing. Amid this cacophony a simple fact has been lost - war and elections must be treated differently.
