Government committed to hold free and fair election: Ministers

January 8, 2006
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Ministers of the incumbent government and former chief of the army staff Satchit Shumsher JB Rana have said that the government will hold municipal elections in a free and fair manner despite some minor incidents of violence.

Speaking at an interaction in the capital on Sunday, they said that the Maoists are continuing violent activities since the onset of the Maoist insurgency in 1996 and that the government is firm in fulfilling its responsibility to hold polls to activate the democratic process in the country due to their violence.

Salim Miya Ansari

Salim Miya Ansari (File Photo)
Minister for forest and soil conservation, Salim Miya Ansari, said that the government will hold election in a free and fair manner despite the call from major political parties to boycott it.

Stating that it is upto political parties whether to take part in the elections or not, Minister Ansari said, “Only the election will decide the position of political parties, whether they are major parties or not.”

The alliance of seven political parties that had received over 80 percent votes in the previous polls have announced to actively boycott the polls saying the poll is only a ploy to legalize what they call ‘regression’.

Binod Kumar Shah

Binod Kumar Shah (File Photo)
Assistant Minister for water resources Binod Kumar Shah expressed the government’s firm commitment to hold municipal poll in stipulated time, as the election is the backbone of the democracy.

“Maoists are continuing their violent activities since the beginning of the insurgency, so the government will hold election despite incidences of violence. ”

He urged the political parties to take part in the election saying the government had made all necessary preparations to hold the municipal polls in a free and fair manner.

Despite the increase in violent activities following the Maoists’ withdrawal of unilateral ceasefire, Minister Shah claimed that the security situation has improved in the country.

Satchit Shumsher JB Rana, Minister for forest and soil conservation

Satchit Shumsher JB Rana, Minister for forest and soil conservation (File Photo)
Speaking at the same programme, former chief of army staff and member of Rajparishad standing committee Satchit Shumsher JB Rana said that some minor incidents of violence will not affect the municipal polls.

He added that Maoists might increase violent activities to disrupt the polls but the government would hold election to reactivate the democratic process in the country.

Rana, who has been in media for filing a proposal of confrontation during the recently concluded central regional conference of Rajparishad said that the conference passed proposals for resolving the problems dogging the country.

“The conference passed the proposal to resolve the problems and urged all the members to initiate dialogue with the political parties to bring them to the frame of constitution and to take part in the municipal polls,” he added

Speaking at the same programme, general secretary of Nepal Sadbhawana party Devendra Mishra and Bal Ram Thapa of Prajatantrik Nepal Party said that their parties will take part in the municipal polls as the government is ready to provide security for the municipal polls. They said that despite minor incidents of violence they were assured by the security arrangement for the municipal polls.

Six security personnel were killed in less than a week after the Maoists’ withdrawal of four month long unilateral ceasefire.

Maoists have warned to disrupt the municipal polls.