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May 14 polls won’t get postponed under any condition: PM

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in an interview, on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.

Kathmandu, April 19

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the local level elections scheduled for May 14 will not be postponed now under any condition or circumstance.

In an exclusive interview with Onlinekhabar on Wednesday morning, the Prime Minister said, “The elections will be held on May 14. No further discussion is needed regarding this question.”

“I appeal to all Nepali people, all political parties, their leaders and cadres as well as the civil society to prepare for the elections without any confusion.”

Assuring that all security bodies reported that the security situation in the country was okay, the Prime Minister said there was no any hurdle to holding the polls on the stipulated time.

‘Dialogues with Madhes-centric parties to continue’

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the government was committed to continuing dialogues with agitating Madhesh-centric parties till the last moment in a bid to make them participate in the elections.

“I have tried a lot to make the Madheshi Morcha participate. I have been trying now. The efforts for consensus have not over,” he said, “I am hopeful they will join the polls.”

Presenting himself as a leader who pioneered issues of Madheshis, Janajatis, Dalits and women in the past, Dahal said there was no any leader in the nation currently who had understood issues of the Madhesh and other social groups better than him.

“In this situation, they have been talking about launching protests or boycotting the elections,” he explained, “Surely, they will realise within few days that boycotting polls will be a blunder.”

‘Boycotting polls means historic blunder’

“What if the Morcha does not join the polls?”

“This is not only my political responsibility, but I have an emotional attachment with the Madhesh,” he said, “If they will not come to the elections even after knowing this and notwithstanding my appeal, I must say the Morcha leaders committed a historic blunder.”

“However, I do not want to blame them today,” he maintained, “We have been holding talks till today and as far as I know they have been trying to reach a positive agreement.”

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in an interview, on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.

 

‘Not concerned with win or loss’

Meanwhile, the chief of the CPN-Maoist Centre said his government was committed to holding elections on time notwithstanding the likely results against his own party.

“Elections are a must to implement the constitution and institutionalise changes. This is a need of the nation,” he claimed, “I am not concerned with whether my party wins. The nation should win, the people should win.”

“Agendas of change should win. If the constitution is implemented and the process to institutionalise agendas of the federal democratic republic is begun, that will be the greatest satisfaction for me.

He said the accusations made by the opposition that the government did not want elections were baseless.

“Nepal people have seen with how much seriousness, commitment and confidence, I have been working to hold the elections,” he asserted.

‘Protesters by others mean nothing’

The Prime Minister said protests being carried out by other political forces including Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Party and Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist would not matter much for the elections as people were already excited to cast votes.

“Ultimately people are the decisive force. After all mechanisms of the state have moved ahead and people are ready for the same,” he concluded, “Nothing and no one can stop the elections.”

 

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