Kathmandu, Nepal: The plan of the government to increase the number of local Units in Terai districts on the name of addressing the demands of the agitating Madhes based parties is shuttered for now, thanks to the rejection of the proposal by the Election Commission (EC), the constitutional body responsible for the elections.
The EC has abruptly turned down Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's request to increase the number of local units in Tarai districts. The officials of the EC including the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Aayodhi Prasad Yadav has made clear that there would not be possible to change the number of local unites before the second phase of local level elections scheduled for June 14.
As the government allies mainly the Nepali Congress and the CPN Maoist Center and the agitating Madhes based parties had agreed to increase the number of local units in Terai districts before the second phase of local level elections on the name of ensuring their participation in the elections, Prime Minister Dahal had urged the EC officials to this effect.
As the entire preparations related to the elections including the printing of ballot papers, voter ID cards and others have already completed as per the existing set up of the local units, there is no possible to hold elections on time by increasing the number of local units, the EC officials had said.
Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN), the united party of different six tarai-centric parties namely -Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhavana Party, National Madhes Socialist Party, Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican, Tarai Madhes Sadbhavana Party and Federal Sadbhavana Party have forwarded conditions to participate in the elections.
