Ruling parties agree to hold local elections in April

KATHMANDU, Jan 18: The ruling alliance’s high-level political coordination committee held a meeting on Tuesday morning. 

The leaders of the ruling parties discussed local elections during the meeting held at the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu. 

According to Ramesh Malla, an aide to CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, the coalition partners reached an agreement to hold local level elections in April/May (Nepali month of Baishakh in 2079 BS) as per the constitutional provisions. “Another meeting will be held on Thursday to settle technical issues,” he told Ratopati. 

The committee presided by Nepali Congress (NC) leader Ramchandra Poudel comprises NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Maoist Chair Prachanda and leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Chair Upendra Yadav, Rastriya Janamorcha Chair Chitra Bahadur KC and Vice-chair Durga Poudel. 

CPN (US) Chair Nepal, however, is not present in the meeting as he remained isolated at home after contacting COVID-19.

The meeting was called a day after Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist Chair Prachanda held a one-on-one meeting on Monday.