Nepal's interim govt chief asks parties not to boycott polls

Head of Nepal's interim government today appealed to the country's warring political parties not to boycott the long-pending elections and use the historic opportunity to ensure "free and fair" polls on November 19.
In his first nationally televised address after assuming the role of executive head in early March, Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi urged all stakeholders for their active participation and cooperation for a free and fair election to new Constituent Assembly.
He asked the political parties to get involved in healthy competition of elections.
Regmi, the Chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers, called for commitment from all quarters to CA elections as the election date is already been announced, electoral laws are in place and voters list update has reached at its final stage.

Regmi's address to the nation comes a day after his cabinet fixed the November 19 as the date for new 491-member Constituent Assembly.
"Now the only requirement is commitment from every one," he said.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has already signed the government-forwarded election ordinance into law, clearing legal hurdles for the upcoming elections.
In his address, Regmi also called on all agitating political parties, including the Mohan-Vaidya led CPN-Maoist, to immediately join talks with the government and resolve their differences through dialogue.
"I want to make a special request to the political parties that are opposed to the government formation process and are agitating with various demands related to the election process to immediately participate in talks to create election-friendly environment by resolving the problem," Regmi said in the televised address.

He said that those who believe in democracy, competitive multiple-party system and rights of the citizen should take part in the election process otherwise democracy will be in peril.