Constitution has not envisaged vacant local bodies: NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa

Fear is that void at the local government will fuel malpractices and corruption that Nepal had witnessed until a few years ago.

NL Today

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Kathmandu: Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Thapa has said that the constitution does not envisage local bodies without people’s representatives.

At a time when the parties in the ruling coalition are divided on whether to hold local polls or parliamentary elections first, General Secretary Thapa said that any decision regarding the election would be unconstitutional if such a decision renders local bodies without people’s representatives.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Thapa said that every decision of the government should be constitutional. Stating that the current government is formed from the struggle against unconstitutional steps, Thapa said that every decision should be in accordance with the constitution.

The ruling alliance is a divided house over polls. The CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have been pitching for holding parliamentary elections in April while other parties are for holding local polls at first.

The term of locally-elected representatives is ending on May 20. Earlier, the Election Commission had proposed elections be held on April 27 if held in a single phase, and on April 27 and May 5 if held in two phases.

The government has not been able to decide on polls due to the dispute in the ruling alliance.