Phalebas (Parbat), June 24:

Acting Chief Commissioner of the Election Commission Neelkantha Upreti has said that elections to the Constituent Assembly will be held within April 13 next year if not possible on November 22 this year.

During his meeting with the employees of Parbat District Development Committee on Sunday, the Acting Election Commissioner stressed the need of holding the CA elections by April 13 next year at any cost.

It would be very difficult to hold the elections in the slated time if the parties did not agree on the election programmes, he added.

He said the government was already informed about the provisions related to the election process and the EC was waiting for the government’s decision.

The Interim Constitution of Nepal has not mentioned about the CA re-elections, said the Acting Election Commissioner adding, however, the elections could be held on November 22 if laws were formulated.

He also stressed the need of holding the local bodies’ elections by October if the parties do not agree on the national elections.

Upreti said the development projects have been affected due to lack of people’s representatives there for the past 14 years. The failure to elect the people’s representatives even after the beginning of the peace process is a mockery of democracy, he claimed.

According to information given by the Acting Election Commissioner, around Rs. eight billion is estimated to cost to hold the CA elections. Similarly, the government has been requested to fulfill the vacant posts in all the bodies.