Nepal Government, Political Parties Discuss Security and Fair Elections as March Polls Approach

The government held a meeting with major political parties regarding the upcoming election to the House of Representatives on March 5. During the discussions at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar till late Tuesday, Prime Minister Sushila Karki reassured the parties that the government is committed to conducting the election in a free and fair environment.

Prime Minister Karki said President Ram Chandra Paudel had opened the door for dialogue and urged the youths and political parties to work together to normalize the situation and move forward with the elections. During the meeting, political parties emphasized the need for adequate security arrangements to ensure a peaceful election.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagdish Kharel, who also serves as the government spokesperson said after the meeting that the government was encouraged by the positive response from the political parties. The dialogue between the political parties has created a conducive environment for the election, said Minister Kharel.

“The political parties have expressed their support for the election process. They were also urged to assist the government in creating a conducive environment for the election”- Minister Kharel.

The meeting also addressed concerns about incidents of arson and vandalism, with a strong call for a fair and transparent investigation into these matters. Representatives from seven political parties that had previously been part of the dissolved House of Representatives, including the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist) attended the meeting.

After the meeting, Nepali Congress spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat informed that most party leaders expressed concerns over the lack of adequate assurance regarding peace and security, the absence of confidence in the security forces, and the general public’s lack of trust that the elections would take place.