WASTE NO TIME
The Kathmandu Post
2 July 2017
WASTE NO
TIME
According
to the Election Commission (EC), local polls were held peacefully and overall
70.5 percent voters cast their votes (“Phase
II polls see 70.5 pc voter turnout” June 29, Page 1). This enthusiastic turnout
of voters will definitely put pressure on the ruling parties and the opposition
to think about ways to bring disgruntled parties on board for the third phase
of local elections.
The
current government and the one before it decided to hold the local level
elections in phases with the intention of bringing the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal
(RJP-N) on board. However, RJP-N leaders will not participate in the polls
until their demands are addressed. This
confrontation among political parties has come to such a point that there does
not seem any alternative except to come to consensus by softening political
stances.
The
Deuba led government has scheduled the third phase in province 2 on September
18. If all the concerned political parties continue to play blame games, the
chances of bringing the disgruntled parties on board seem dismal. If the
government fails to hold the third phase polls, it cannot hold the remaining
two tiers of polls by January 2018 as required by the new constitution. I hope
all the major political parties including RJP-N realize their crucial political
roles at this critical time, reach a consensus, amend the constitution and hold
the polls successfully paving the way for the constitution’s implementation.
Rai Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
