Debates are underway regarding the validity of the municipal poll held on Wednesday.

Participants of two interaction programmes held in the capital, Kathmandu, on Friday expressed quite opposite views regarding the election.

Former EC Prof. Birendra P. Mishra

Former EC Prof. Birendra P. Mishra
(File Photo)

Speaking at an interaction organised by the Everest Press Club Nepal, former Election Commissioner (EC) Prof. Birendra P. Mishra dubbed the municipal polls held on Wednesday as ‘invalid’.

He was of the view that though the polls were held as per the existing laws of the country, it was invalid as it was against the spirit of the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990.

Prof. Mishra claimed that the low voter turn out in the polls proved that the election had no public support, adding, “Polls held without participation of the major political parties cannot be termed as legitimate in a democratic dispensation.

Coming down heavily on the EC, he said that the EC should have advised the government to postpone the polls rather than holding it in such a situation.

Nearly 21 percent people cast their ballots in the municipal polls.

Meanwhile, speaking at an interaction organised by the Sanchar Samuha Nepal on Friday, leaders of some royalist parties and journalists said that the success of the municipal polls has opened the doors for the parliamentary elections.

Speaking at an interaction in the capital, they said Nepalese people have given the message in favor of democracy by taking part in the municipal polls despite the boycott call of seven political parties and Maoist threats.

Former Minister Gore Bahadur Khapangi lauded the voters’ courage while another former minister Kuber Sharma claimed that the call of seven political parties to boycott the municipal polls in support of Maoists had failed.

Sharma said the country is facing grave economic crisis and stressed on the need of talks between the government and the Maoists.

Speaking at the same program, acting president of the Federation of Nationalist Journalists– a pro-governmetn outfit– Mrs. Jasuda Pradhan said that the results of the municipal polls were indicative that people were in favor of elections.

The international community including the United States, India, United Kingdom and Japan expressed dissatisfaction over the municipal polls.

The authorities have, however, expressed “satisfaction’ on the conduct of polls saying that it was a democratic exercise.