It is the government’s job to consult the political parties and other stakeholders to ensure a free and fair elections. But the interim government led by Sushila Karki refrained from directly reaching out to the political parties represented in the dissolved House of Representatives and instead entrusted the ceremonial President with the job.

President Ramchandra Paudel on Friday held a consultation with the political party leaders. This follows a request from Prime Minister Karki on Thursday, in which she asked Paudel to take the initiative.

In the meeting on Friday, Paudel urged the political parties to take part in the elections in order to protect the country, constitution and democracy.

“The very mandate of this government formed after the Gen Z movement is to hold the elections on March 5, 2026. But why is the government refraining from consulting with the parties?” asked a Nepali Congress leader while talking to the Post. Another leader, from CPN-UML, the second largest party in the outgoing parliament after the Congress, had a similar query.

If the government knows it is not possible to hold elections without the parties’ involvement, why is it hesitating to sit down with us, the two leaders asked.

In the Friday meeting with Prime Minister Karki, ministers and political party leaders, President Paudel said elections are the only option to protect the country, the people, democracy, and the constitution.

He urged political parties to focus on the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5. Top leaders of the major parties Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal were not present in the meeting convened by the President.

At the all-party meeting, representatives of political parties questioned Prime Minister Karki as to why the meeting had to be held at the President’s Office and why electoral programmes were made public without consulting political parties.

Karki later clarified that the meeting was convened at Sheetal Niwas at her request. “After Friday’s meet created a positive environment for polls, subsequent meetings will now take place in Singha Durbar,” said a minister who was present at the meeting.

“Had I called the first meeting with the political parties, the Gen Z groups might have gotten angry, and so I requested the President,” Prime Minister Karki had told the party leaders.

Even major political parties having the largest shares in the dissolved House are divided in taking part in the elections. The Congress is in a dilemma but it has not said it will boycott the elections, which are scheduled to take place two years earlier than the normal period.

The UML, questioning the intent of the government, is lobbying for the reinstatement of the dissolved House. The CPN (Maoist Centre) has not opposed polls but asked the government to first create a conducive environment.

According to President Paudel’s press adviser Kiran Pokharel, the head of state advised the government to make necessary security arrangements for free and fair elections.

The President is consulting Gen Z representatives on Saturday. Besides Gen Z leaders, he has also invited government representatives in the meeting, according to Pokharel.

“President Paudel emphasised the need for everyone to work together to successfully conduct the elections and safeguard democracy. He encouraged the parties to voice any confusion or uncertainty, warning that seeking alternatives to the elections could lead the country down a dangerous path,” said a statement issued by the President Office after the meeting.

“He also urged political parties to avoid creating confusion and instead assure the people that the concerns raised by the young generation [Gen Z] would be addressed. He stressed that the government must immediately respond to the parties’ concerns about security.”

At the meeting, several political leaders said the democratic parties are always ready for elections. However, they expressed doubts about whether the current security climate would guarantee free and fair elections.

They emphasised the need for the government to assure the parties a free, fair, and fearless poll atmosphere.

Leaders from the Congress and the UML raised questions on the viability of elections at a time police weapons have been looted and hardened criminals are still at large.

Prime Minister Karki said the interim government is fully aware that elections cannot happen without the participation of political parties, also promising to make necessary security arrangements.

She urged the parties to consider the discontent expressed by Gen Z-ers and to embrace change, “as they are the sons and grandsons of all of us”.

After the meeting, government spokesperson and Minister for Information, Technology, and Communication Jagadish Kharel claimed that the country is now election-bound.

“The government is also moving towards elections while addressing the major demands of Gen Z,” he said.

Prime Minister Karki has already held a round of meetings with office bearers of the Elections Commission and urged them to hold talks with political party leaders.

“No political party has announced a boycott of elections,” Kharel said.

He stated the Election Commission is proceeding according to its schedule and claimed that security agencies have not reported any loss of morale.

He also claimed that the election is now certain, thanks to the President’s initiative.

“Now that the government, political parties, and the President himself have created an environment for holding the elections, the security personnel are also ready with a high morale. The country is now clearly moving forward on the path to elections. The phase of silence and lack of dialogue is over,” he said.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) spokesperson Gyanendra Shahi, who participated in the meeting, said the constitution should be amended to ensure a directly elected executive prime ministerial system and to abolish the provincial structure.

All ministers of the interim government were present in the meeting.

Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka and General Secretary Gagan Thapa from the Nepali Congress; Senior Vice-chair Ishwar Pokharel and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel from the UML; and Senior Vice-chair Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun attended the meeting at Sheetal Niwas.

Acting President DP Aryal and Deputy General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya from the Rastriya Swatantra Party; Spokesperson Gyanendra Shahi and Mina Lama from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party; Vice-chair Rajendra Pandey and General Secretary Ghanashyam Bhusal from the CPN (Unified Socialist) were also present at the meeting.

Also in attendance were Renu Yadav from the Janata Samajbadi Party; CK Raut and Jay Kumar Raut from the Janamat Party; Gyanendra Jha and Sarbendra Nath Shukla from the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party; Resham Chaudhary from the Nagarik Unmukti Party; Sunil Prajapati from the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party; and Bidyut Bajracharya and Prakash Adhikari from the JSP Nepal.