Nepal facing glitches in holding 2-phased polls

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has admitted to technical glitches in holding the May 14 polls in two phases and sought support from other political parties over the issue.In an all-party meeting on Friday, Dahal, the opposition and other parties lend support in passing the constitution amendment bill tabled earlier.Detailing out the technical difficulties, the prime minister said that on May 29 they have to bring the budget as per the constitutional provision as he expressed confusion over what to do about it since the first phase of election is on May 14 and second a month after on June 14.“Should we hold the first phase election on May 14 and go for the second? Then again a question arises over what to do with the vote counting? Should we commence the two-phase elections and go for the vote counting for this political agreement is needed. On the three issues of amendment proposal, holding election and budget I request all the parties to cooperate,” said the prime minister.The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) is against the holding of the election in two phases, claiming that presentation of budget between the two phases would influence the voters.Leader of other parties, both the ruling and the opposition, suggested Prime Minister Dahal to organise single-phase poll and bring the budget after the completion of polls.The government is bound by the constitutional provision to bring the budget on May 29, which will collide with the second phase election which is slated for June 14.Law Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak yesterday claimed that the newly proposed amendment bill will be endorsed by the opposition.In an interaction in Kathmandu, Nayak said issues of delineation and amendment are for resolving the present political deadlock in the country.“In the absence of the State Council, we should have the provision that will fortify us with the rights to make the demarcation of the states through this Legislature Parliament and it is being improved. We have formed seven states through this assembly. Is there anyone who hasn’t understood this? If it is the matter of national interest and the issue of delineation, is there any need of making the objection? Which study has made this finding? I opine that their objection over it is wrong and they should not do it,” Nayak said. The government has tabled a new amendment proposal with some revisions over it after the agitating parties made an objection over it.Though the government has tabled the amendment proposal, the formal discussion over it is yet to be started.Nayak also informed that the formal discussion over the amendment bill will get started from parliamentary meeting scheduled to be held today.