National 9 (Spotlight Weekly)

Extension Endeavour

Unable to hold fresh elections on security grounds, the government considers extending the tenure of local bodies by a year

By A CORRESSPONDENT

When everybody is talking about the need to strengthen the local bodes, the government is considering whether to extend the tenure of office bearers for another one year, arguing that it cannot hold new elections due next month.

As the Maoists rebels are destroying buildings of Village Development Committees, Municipalities and District Development Committees, the government's move to extend their tenure would help to mobilize the local people. If the Municipalities, VDCs and DDCs remain without representatives, it would trigger greater anarchy in the country.

People in village : .Issues of leadership

More than 80 percent of the local bodies are under the control of the main opposition CPN-UML, with the remainder in the hands of the Nepali Congress and other parties. The extension would obviously benefit the UML the most.

According to the Local Development Bodies Act, office bearers of the local bodies have a five-year term, which can be extended for a year if the government feels it is not in a position to hold immediate elections.

Although the voters list almost ready and other arrangements well in place, the government is said to be worried about security in the polling booth. Because of growing violence and extension of the state of emergency, all national political parties have agreed to extend the tenure of the office bearers of the local bodies for another year.

"Our party has already expressed its support to extend the tenure of the Municipalities, VDCs and DDCs for another year," said Rajendra Pandey, whip of the UML. "Our party is ready to face the elections, but it is up to the government to decide."

Sources close to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba told SPOTLIGHT that he has already met main opposition party leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and RPP leaders to seek their opinion on the extension. The terms of the office bearers of the local bodies will expire next month and the government has to come up with alternative arrangements within the next few weeks.

This is the first time in 12 years that the government has considered postponing local elections on security grounds. The first elections were held in 1993 when Girija Prasad Koirala was prime minister. The second local elections were held in 1997 under the RPP-UML coalition government.