EC may turn defunct Friday

KATHMANDU, Jan 10: As the outgoing acting chief election commissioner and another commissioner, the only two still remaining, hinted that they would not delegate their powers to the secretary, the Election Commission (EC) is likely to become dysfunctional from Friday.



According to sources at the constitutional body, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung and Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav showed reluctance to delegate their powers to the EC secretary at a meeting held at the EC office on Wednesday afternoon. [break]



Gurung and Yadav will retire on Thursday after completing their six-year tenures.



"Who will be responsible for the situation if the government tries to hold election relying on just EC officials in the absence of commissioners?" an EC official quoted Gurung and Yadav as telling the meeting, adding, "We don´t want to be blamed for any untoward situation after our retirement."



EC officials said that following retirement of the acting chief election commissioner and the commissioner, the constitutional body will be limited to just administrative tasks.



"The EC cannot do anything other than daily administrative work," said the official requesting to be unnamed, adding, "For instance, it (EC) cannot register new political parties, resolve disputes about authenticity of parties, and cannot introduce new programs."



He maintained that the EC will not be able to engage in pre-electoral activities if the parties forged consensus on holding fresh polls in May or June. "Not a single political party is against fresh polls," said the EC official, adding, "What can the EC do if parties agreed to conduct fresh polls in May or June?"



The EC officials argued that Gurung and Yadav could have delegated some of their powers to the secretary just like in the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).



However, Commissioner Yadav said that there cannot be comparison between the EC and the CIAA. "You cannot give example of the CIAA as the EC´s case is different," Yadav told Republica, adding, "Both national and international parties have concerns with the EC´s activities."



He also maintained that delegation of power is the matter of their discretion. "We will have to completely trust the person whom we are supposed to delegate our powers," Yadav maintained, adding, But, let´s see what will happen tomorrow [Thursday]."



Former Acting Chief Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety retired some two months ago. The post of the chief election commissioner remains vacant following retirement of Bhojraj Pokhrel after CA elections in 2008.



As per the Interim Constitution, there should be chief election commissioner and four commissioners in the EC.



The EC meeting also concluded that it would not be able to hold polls for Constituent Assembly (CA) in mid April-May as announced by the government.

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