Acting Chief Election Commissioner Warns of Difficulties in Upcoming Elections Without Unified Election Law

Kathmandu. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has said that if the unified election law is not passed within the current session, it will be difficult to hold the upcoming elections. 

Addressing a farewell program organized at the Election Commission on Monday, he said that if the unified election law is not passed within the budget session, it will be difficult to hold the upcoming elections. He stated that if the law is not made within the budget session, elections will become more complex in the coming days. 

He said that new election laws can be brought to address demands such as e-voting. He claimed that during his tenure at the Election Commission, he worked to make the commission legally clear and robust. He complained that although the draft of the unified election law was prepared and submitted to the relevant ministry during his tenure, it has not been presented in the parliament for more than three years since its submission. 

Stating that the Election Commission's destination in the upcoming elections is even more complex, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Bhandari said that the commission needs leadership that can take everyone along. Bhandari is going on mandatory retirement from Tuesday due to the age limit of 65 years.