The low-pitched election fever is expected to gather steam in the days ahead with today’s announcement of the dates for the phase wise elections to the 205 member House of Representatives starting November 13 and ending on January 10.

Despite the lackadaisical attitude shown by the political parties to go to the polls, the government has pronounced clearly that it would leave no stone unturned to hold the elections in the scheduled date by providing the needed security arrangements and other logistic support.

The fourth parliamentary election is going to be the costliest and longest one after the restoration of the democracy in 1990 as it is being held in six phases.

The Election Commission has already appointed the Election officers to most of the electoral constituencies and has also dispatched the Election Regulations. It has given election symbols to 23 newly registered parties.

It has also announced that it will double the amount of life insurance for the government employees conducting the mid-term elections. The amount of life insurance for returning officers will be RS six hundred thousand while the amount will be RS four hundred thousand for junior officers conducting the elections.

The first general election was held in 1991 by the interim government headed by Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai after toppling the Panchayat rule in 1990 through the launching of the popular movement.

The Nepali Congress had swept the first general elections and had secured a majority of 114 seats in the 205-member parliament.

Following the infighting in the ruling Nepali Congress, the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala recommended for a mid term elections which was held in 1994 leading to the formation of the first elected Communist government in the world of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).

The CPN (UML) formed a minority government, which was unseated in nine months to be followed by three more coalition governments. The third general election was held in May 1999, after the completion of the five year term of the parliament. The Nepali Congress swept the elections forming a majority government.

Following the rift in the ruling Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba recommended for House dissolution to the King on May 22. The King then announced the mid term polls for November 13.

Home Ministry Khum Bahadur Khadka has stated that the government has recruited 10,000 more army men, 8,000 armed police and a large number of regular police for election purposes. According to Khadka, the government has plans to hire about 15,000 ex-army men of the Royal Nepal Army and ex-Gurkhas to assist the existing forces for elections.

The elections are being held at a time when the Maoists are waging an armed battle against the government forces causing heavy damages to the physical infrastructure in the country ever since they abandoned the peace talks initiated last year.

The Maoists have been waging an armed struggle for the last six years to fulfill their demand of a Communist State. The battle has so far claimed more than four thousand lives.