Kathmandu: Nepal`s four major political parties today decided to fix the date for the Constituent Assembly elections within the next three days as the country prepares to observe its sixth Republic Day next week.
The chairman of the election government Khil Raj Regmi has asked the political parties to reach a consensus within a couple of days so that the poll date could be announced on the sixth Republic Day on May 29, cabinet sources said.
In response to this the top leaders of the major parties, UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Joint Madhesi Front, have assured that they would soon reach consensus on the key issues to facilitate the government to announce the election date.
They expressed their commitment to suggest the election date after sorting out differences on contentious issues.
During the meeting at Baluwatar, the official residence of Regmi, the chairman of the election government urged the parties to reach consensus on disputed issues relating to elections, including number seats for the Constituent Assembly, pre-conditions to register political parties and minimum required votes to get seats under the proportionate voting system.
Although the parties have proposed 491 as seats in the Constituent Assembly they have not yet decided the matter officially.
The parties are also sharply divided on whether to bar people convicted under criminal charges from contesting elections or not.
Nepal was declared a federal democratic republic in May, 2008, by abolishing the 240-year-old monarchy.
The major parties have convened the meeting of the High Level Political Mechanism tomorrow so as to discuss the issues relating to announcing the election date and introducing election related ordinance.
After the meeting, president of Terai Madhesi Democratic Party Mahanta Thakur said, "We have made an understanding to make efforts from respective positions to announce the election date within the next three days. The government will fix the date for election once the political parties forge consensus regarding the election process and other disputed matters."
Thakur said that the political parties are also making efforts to ensure the participation of agitating political parties in the forthcoming elections.
The achievements of the Peoples Movement of 2006 are yet to be institutionalised as the parties have failed to draft a new constitution within the extended deadline of May, 2012.
The country had plunged into a political and constitutional crisis after Constituent Assembly was dissolved without promulgating the constitution last year and the fresh elections to be held in November, 2012, did not take place, pushing the country into deeper crisis.
With the formation of the election government led by chief justice Regmi a couple of months ago, the political parties have tentatively agreed to conduct Constituent Assembly elections in June or by December.
However, the parties are yet to reach consensus on key issues relating to elections.
PTI
