Attempts being made to postpone elections: Nepal Home Minister Sharma

Nepal's Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma on Tuesday claimed that the election for Province Council and House of Representatives are being pushed back.

Sharma made the revelation in a press briefing in Singhadurbar citing Election Commission, without giving details over it.

The Press Meet which was supposed to announce the decision of Maoist Center to walk out of the alliance government, which was formed five months before the revelation of the plan to postpone the election, the Maoist Center has made a U-turn by deciding not to quit the government immediately.

"The party has prepared a draft of calling back all the ministers from the government. While we were signing the draft, the election is being postponed, the information from the Election Commission dropped in," Home Minister Sharma reveled citing Election Commission, Nepal.

"How is this decision being made and from where it is being made? When this question was popping up, decision to write to the government acknowledging withdrawal from the government is now halted for now. The conclusion over this matter is made after the assurance over the commencement of the election, we will walk out of the government," Sharma added.

The Maoist Center (MC) which supported the Nepali Congress to form the alliance government five months ago, decided to merge with the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) some weeks ago, which now have irked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

After the merger agreement between the two communist parties of Nepal, Deuba has been planning to make reshuffle in the government which was also revealed by hime when he had addressed the farewell meeting of the Nepal's Constituent Assembly turned Parliament on Saturday.

"We neither have any hunger for the government nor for the post of Minister. The matter of reshuffle is about the rights of the Prime Minister and he owns it, but we and you were asked about our morals. Our moral is to be sincere to the public and to the people's right to participate in the election. The nomination filing has started, if the postponement attempts are being made from anyone then it will not be acceptable for us," Home Minister as well as Deputy Prime Minister from MC in present coalition government asserted replying to the queries raised by reporters during the press meet.

Nepal, which made the progressive constitution in 2015 amid protest and boycott from the Madhesh based parties, who demanded for more inclusive provisions in the charter, has the deadline of first week of 2018 to hold the election of province and house of representative.

The Government of Nepal had announced date of election for the Provincial Council and the House of Representatives for November 26 and December 12, 2017.

The nomination filing on basis of proportionate representation election system concluded on Sunday and the nomination filing for the direct contest is scheduled for next week.