Kathmandu, February 20
Nepal’s government has directed the country’s election commission to conduct civic elections in the second week of May.
A meeting of the Prime Minister Prachanda’s Cabinet decided to conduct the elections on May 14 throughout the country. The government had earlier hinted that it would conduct the elections in phases.
Nepali voters last chose their mayors, and village chiefs in 1997. The civic body leaders’ term expired in 2002, and then Sher Bahadur Deuba government decided not to extend their tenure, even as it was dealing with the Maoist insurgency. The then insurgents’ threat made it impossible for the government to conduct elections at any level.
The government, on Monday evening, also decided to provide Rs 10 billion to the Election Commission to prepare for election, spokesperson Minister Ram Karki said.
