The subcommittee of the State Affairs Committee of Parliament is discussing three options on fixing the election date.

Subcommittee coordinator Ananda Dhungana said lawmakers have three opinions as to how the poll date should be fixed. “We will resolve this issue, as well as other differences, by January 20,” said Dhungana.

The 11-member panel was formed on December 22 to finalise three election-related laws—Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Election Commission, Bill Related to Voter List, and Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to Political Parties.

Although the EC had claimed its right to fix the poll date when it submitted the draft of the Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Election Commission, the government denied it while registering the bill in Parliament.

The election authority believes periodic polls could be ensured if it is given the right to announce the polls. Election commissions in India, Pakistan and the US have the power. The third option considered in the meeting was mentioning the date in the law itself.

Dhungana also said the subcommittee was in the final stage of discussions on the bills on Election Commission and the Voter List. “We will sort the differences on the two bills within our deadline,” he said, adding that they would also try to finalise the Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to Political Parties on time. The subcommittee started discussion on the bill on political parties on Friday. There are differences among the lawmakers over the threshold of votes for representation, state funding for the parties and the number of signatures required to register a political party.

Time is running out for holding the local elections in April-May. The EC says it needs at least 120 days after the election laws are passed and the report of the 

Local Level Restructuring Commission is implemented to conduct the planned polls.