CA polls on Nov 19 even without disgruntled parties: EC

KATHMANDU, Aug 27: While the Mohan Baidya-led alliance continues to snub government´s request to join the election process, the top Election Commission (EC) officials have said that the constitutional body will conduct the Constituent Assembly (CA) election on the scheduled date even if the disgruntled political parties choose to boycott the polls.



“The EC has been making all the necessary preparations keeping in view the November 19 polls,” Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Republica.

Similarly, Commissioner Ila Sharma said that the commission will listen to the majority on the issue of CA election. “Democracy is about the will of majority,” she maintained, “Today the majority wants want election.” Sharma stated that deferral of the November election is not even an option for the constitutional body.



The chief election commissioner said they believe that the polls would not be disrupted even if the agitating alliance boycotts the polls. “We still hope that they [disgruntled political parties] will participate in the election,” said Uprety, adding, “But, we don´t believe that they will disrupt the polls even if they do not participate in the election process.” [break]



He, however, argued that the disgruntled political parties can be accommodated if the government makes special legal and constitutional arrangements. “The EC had provided five more days for candidacy nomination after then government came up with special legal and constitutional arrangements during the 2008 CA election,” said Uprety.



He said the EC can exercise maximum flexibility to accommodate all political parties in the new CA election as the country is still in a transitional phase.

Asked what the EC would do if Mohan Baidya-led alliance decides to disrupt the election, Uprety said, “The government must ensure security for the polls.” On the issue of mobilization of the Nepal Army (NA) for security during the polls, Uprety said the government has not informed EC whether it would mobilize NA.

The government is yet to finalize the integrated security plan for the November elections.



A highly-placed source said that the commission will not oppose it if the government decides to mobilize NA personnel for the security during the polls. “NA is apolitical institution which has a good reputation,” added the source.

Though Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML among other parties are positive toward mobilizing NA during the polls, the UCPN (Maoist) is averse to the idea.

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