Supreme Court accentuates govt to hold all three-tier election by Jan 18

KATHMANDU, Feb 23: The Supreme Court has drawn the attention of the government to hold elections of the local, province and federal level within January 2018 for the full implementation of the Constitution of Nepal.

The attention was drawn by a joint bench of Justices Iswar Prasad Khatiwada and Anil Kumar Sinha. It had come in response to a writ filed by a group of advocates including Dr Chandra Kant Gyawali calling for a mandamus order to hold local body elections until the local level restructuring was completed and local elections after the restructuring was completed. The writ was cancelled after the attention was drawn following hearing on it.

“As it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure the end of transition by January 2018, it would be a betrayal towards the constitution if anything otherwise is envisioned,” reads the order to the apex court.

The constitutional responsibility of the government to make intensive and meaningful efforts to hold elections at all levels within the timeline set by the constitution should be the most priority matter, adds the order. RSS