EC advices PM to conduct election in a single phase

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has suggested the Election Commission (EC) officials to step up preparation for election by devising proper strategy based on its past election management experience in view of the coronavirus pandemic. In a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and other office-bearers of the EC today, PM Oli urged them to expedite the works taking into consideration the mid-term election announced for coming November 12 and 19. “On the one hand, COVID-19 pandemic is prevailing and on the other election should be carried out within six months. There is no situation to defer the election due to the pandemic. Amidst the pandemic too, various countries including India, the US, the UK and Brazil have successfully completed the elections”, OM Oli said. He cautioned the EC official-bearers to expedite preparation in the complicated time as per the authority bestowed by the Constitution and laws to the EC after election dates are announced. Chief Election Commission Thapalya told RSS that the Prime Minster assured the commission of adequate security arrangement, budget and human resource for the election. Also present on the occasion were Finance Minister BIshnu Prasad Poudel, election commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari and Janak Devi Tuladhar. It was shared that the new voters’ enrollment would be taken ahead with the amendment of the concerned law on the consensus among political parties and coronavirus infection dropping its rate. The EC has suggested the PM to conduct the elections in a single phase by making all necessary security arrangement and others through it was announced for two phases. Chief Commissioner Thapaliya told RSS that the EC advised the PM to review the decision of holding election into two phases.