Elections may postpone in case of delay in court verdict: Home Minister Thapa

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa today said that upcoming mid-term elections may postpone when the court delays its verdict on the dissolution of the House of Representatives that is sub-judice in the court. 

Whether the elections would take place in the scheduled time period (30 April and 10 May) depends on how soon the court delivers a verdict on the subject, he said. "The government is ready to organise the elections within the stipulated timeframe. The Election Commission and all security agencies are prepared for this. We are waiting for a court verdict," he said at a press conference organised here by the Press Organisation Nepal, Kalikot. 

He also expressed the hope that the court would uphold the government's move to dissolve the HoR. On the matter of election symbol and party in the context there is a split in the Nepal Communist Party, the minister said that he was confident about the Election Commission continuing old party (the communist party led by NCP Chairperson and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli). 

Stating that the state policy is to control the group led by Netra Bikram Chand in an administrative and political way, he urged it to join mainstream politics. 

On Nirmala Panta's rape and murder case, saying that investigations into the case were underway, the minister said truth behind the crime would come out sooner or later. 
In another context, he said the government was mindful in providing livelihoods to those who were disabled during the Maoist insurgency and families of martyrs and it had taken a decision in this regard.