Government moves ahead with election preparations while major parties remain uncertain

The government has begun step-by-step discussions in preparation for the upcoming election scheduled for March 5. However, the major political parties remain in a dilemma.

The Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have not even held formal internal discussions.

As a result, leaders of both parties, on the one hand, argue that the dissolution of the House of Representatives is unconstitutional, while on the other hand, they say they are watching the government’s behavior regarding the elections.

Meanwhile, the CPN-Maoist Centre and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) claim they have already started their pre-election preparations.

Both parties have placed election preparations on the agenda of their office bearers’ and central committee meetings.

On Tuesday’s central committee meeting of the RSP, preparations for the House of Representatives election were a major agenda. District presidents and central members expressed their views regarding strategies for participating in the elections.

The Maoist Centre has decided to advance its special general convention and preparations for the elections simultaneously. Following discussions at the office-bearer level, the party has scheduled a Standing Committee meeting for Wednesday and a Central Committee meeting starting Thursday.

In these meetings, a proposal will be presented to dissolve all party committees and to move forward with both the general convention and election preparations simultaneously.

According to Maoist Centre deputy general secretary Janardan Sharma, the Gen Z movement has completely disrupted the existing political status quo. He said there is no alternative but to support the elections as scheduled. 

“Let’s support this government, help conduct the elections on time,” he says to Onlinekhabar.

He added that since the regular constitutional process has been derailed and the constitution is in a dormant state, elections are essential to revive it.

Sharma also said the world is currently undergoing hybrid wars, with powerful nations polarizing. In this context, Nepal has no option but to safeguard its nationality and move forward by strengthening the constitution through elections.

On the question of whether the Maoists will support the elections, Sharma responded: “Yes, we will support. We will help create an environment for the elections.”

Congress and UML still weighing options

The Nepali Congress is preparing for a central committee meeting. The party meeting is expected to be held once party president Sher Bahadur Deuba becomes active in party affairs.

Party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said the environment for discussions about the March 5 election has yet to be created. 

“There is still uncertainty about how the government will proceed with the elections,” he says, adding that the central committee will discuss the overall situation.

According to Mahat, the party’s conclusion is that the dissolution of the House of Representatives is unconstitutional. 

The UML also has not yet begun focused discussions on the House elections. Party secretary Chhabilal Bishwakarma said activities are gradually moving forward.

UML politburo member Ishwar Bahadur Rijal says that the situation is not yet favorable for elections.

 “How can we talk about elections during a period of regression?” he asks. “The right environment must be created first.”

According to him, after former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, there was no possibility of forming another government. In such a case, if an interim government had been formed after 30 days of Parliament dissolution, it would have been constitutional.

But since a government was formed directly under the leadership of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, dissolving Parliament, it cannot be called constitutional or lawful, he argued.

“Did the Gen Z movement demand a change of system? Was its slogan about changing the system? No. Was it searching for an alternative to the democratic republic? No,” Rijal says. “The Gen Z movement was pure at its core, but it became corrupted as it spread, causing destruction. In such a situation, why an interim government, why elections?”

He further argued that there is no chance of new parties emerging through the elections. 

“Does Gen Z have a party? Does Sushila Karki have a party? If not, how will a new party emerge from the elections? In this situation, the House of Representatives must be reinstated and the country should move forward constitutionally,” he adds..

UML chair KP Sharma Oli has also started appearing in public life again. From his new residence in Gundu, Bhaktapur, he has been meeting leaders, cadres, and stakeholders, and assessing the political situation.

Government moving ahead

The government, however, is advancing preparations for the elections. In the changed circumstances after the Gen Z movement, it has also initiated the process of amending the existing election laws.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sushila Karki discussed the matter with Election Commission officials at her office in Singha Durbar. The talks covered legal amendments required for elections, election management, and mobilization of resources.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari and other officials were present at the meeting. Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Anil Kumar Sinha stated that the government is ready to address any obstacles to election preparations, stressing that elections must take place.

According to EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, both the government and commission are clear that elections must be conducted properly. The EC is committed to holding free, fair, independent, and cost-effective elections.

As part of preparations, the EC has started collecting data on available election materials, including ballot boxes. 

“We are checking how many ballot boxes and other materials are in each district, how many are usable, and how many need to be added. Based on that, we’ll prepare the budget,” spokesperson Bhattarai says to Onlinekhabar.

Earlier, the EC had also discussed election preparations with Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal. In short, both the government and the Election Commission are engaged in pre-election preparations.

Since June 30, voter list collection has been suspended. Now, with the midterm elections announced, legal provisions must be made to reopen voter registration. For this and other measures, the government is preparing to issue an ordinance.

According to the Home Ministry, the ordinance to amend election laws was earlier planned for a cabinet meeting but was delayed for further discussion on granting voting rights to Nepalis abroad. After additional homework, the ministry plans to bring the ordinance.

The government aims to amend election laws to include the participation of Gen Z in the election. The ordinance seeks to address three issues; fixing the deadline for party registration, extending the date for voter list collection and allowing Nepalis abroad to cast proportional votes.

According to the EC, announcing the election date does not bar new parties from registering, but a clear deadline must be set. The Home Ministry has already sought proposals from the EC on this.

As of November 1, there are 18,168,230 registered voters aged 18 and above. The Home Ministry is working to ensure that everyone who turns 18 can vote by extending the voter list collection and to allow Nepalis abroad to cast proportional votes.

Since these are important and historic issues, the political parties are waiting for the government’s decisions.

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