Kathmandu, Dec 27: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has ruled out any delay in the House of Representatives election set for March 5, saying the poll will go ahead under all circumstances.
Meeting a delegation of the Nagarik Bachau Party on Friday, Karki said political differences should not stand in the way of national interests. She noted that 114 political parties have applied to contest the election and urged all of them to act with a shared sense of responsibility.
Karki said ideological diversity is a normal part of democracy and parties have every right to present their views to voters. At the same time, she stressed the need for unity on core national concerns, especially at a time when the country faces multiple pressures.
She said political forces should now speak in one voice on the election and move forward in a careful and steady manner. Elections, she added, give parties a platform to reach people and seek a mandate, and the March 5 vote must be made a success.
The prime minister said the government has completed most of the groundwork for the polls and asked parties not to doubt the state’s ability to conduct them on time. She said security agencies, including the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, have been provided with the required resources. She also confirmed that a separate election security force is being raised.
Karki said her government has a single task, to hold the election on the announced date. There is no room to step back or look for alternatives, she said, adding that postponement is not an option.
She also called on mainstream parties to review their own roles and practices. Referring to tensions between older and newer political ideas, she said such disputes should be settled through dialogue. Old thinking and repeated interpretations, she said, no longer connect with the public.
During the meeting, Nagarik Bachau Party Nepal chair Madhav Kalpit presented a five-point demand to the prime minister on behalf of his party.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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