Kathmandu, January 15
The Election Commission has issued a four-day ultimatum to the government to appoint province chiefs, warning holding the National Assembly elections on February 7 as scheduled will be impossible if the government does not heed the ultimatum.
The Commission further warns that if the National Assembly polls cannot be held on time, the new government formation process will be further postponed.
“We can submit provincial assembly results to province chiefs only after they get appointment and their offices are established,”
The Commission is planning to announce the voters’ list for National Assembly polls on coming Sunday. Therefore, the province chiefs have to be appointed by Friday, demands the Commission.
The electorate college for National Assembly is composed of provincial assembly members and chiefs and deputy chiefs of local governments. By then, the assembly members should be sworn in by province chiefs, according to the constitution.
The Commission’s spokesperson Nawaraj Dhakal says the Commission has already drawn the attention of government for the appointment of province chiefs.
Meanwhile, spokesperson of the government and Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur Basnet says the government will appoint province chiefs within next two days.
On the other hand, the CPN-UML, which is keen to lead the new government, says the delay in appointment of province chiefs is an indication that Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress party is trying to prolong the stay in power.
UML leader Subas Chandra Nembang claims that his party has already consented to the government’s plan for appointment.
