Kathmandu, August 18
Minister for Local Development, Hita Raj Pandey, said on Thursday that the Prachanda-led government will conduct local elections in Chaitra (about eight months from now, towards the end of 2073 BS).
Conducting elections is a must for implementation of the Constitution, Pandey said, adding: Holding elections — local, provincial and federal — is the major priority of this government.
Pandey, speaking at a face-to-face that Reporters’ Club Nepal had organised on Thursday, said: Rest assured, we will conduct local elections within Chaitra.
The CPN-UML’s claims that the present government is conspiring to put elections on hold are false, he said.
There’s no dispute over the number of local bodies that Local Bodies Restructuring Commission has recommended, Pandey said, adding: The commission has suggested formation of 365 bodies, but that is subject to change.
He said they will fix the number of local bodies without curtailing people’s rights. Responding to a question, Pandey said: Friends from the (Madheshi) Morcha — United Democratic Madheshi Front — have asked us not to expedite the election process without amendments in the Constitution. We will move ahead by taking them into confidence.
