KATHMANDU, Feb 20: The government has officially announced the date for holding the local level election. A cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Baluwatar on Monday evening decided to hold the local poll on May 14.
According to Minister for Healh Gagan Thapa, the government took the decision to this effect following the consultation with the Election Commission (EC).
The EC had recommended the government to hold the local level election on May 14.
PM reaffirms local polls by mid-December
It was in 1997 that Nepali people had last voted for electing local bodies. Since then no local election was held because of the Maoist insurgency, political upheavals and lack of consensus among the major political parties.
Local governance has been handled by bureaucracy after the term of elected local bodies expired 14 years ago.
As the constitutional deadline of holding local, provincial and federal elections is fast approaching, the government has come under pressure to announce the election dates.
Earlier, the Cabinet meeting on Monday morning had asked the taskforce formed to study and review the report of the commission formed to restructure local units.
The commission has recently recommended the government to fix the number of local units at 719. Till date, there are nearly 4,000 local bodies.
However, the government is yet to officially recognize the commission's report.
The government is under pressure as the Madhes-based parties, which supported in forming the present government, are demanding amendment of the constitution prior to the election as well as they are demanding to amend the report of the commission and increase the number of local units in Tarai-Madhes.
