Senior leaders of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) urged the Election Commission on Monday to announce the results of the Proportional Representation category of the House of Representatives elections at the earliest.
Senior leaders of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) urged the Election Commission on Monday to announce the results of the Proportional Representation category of the House of Representatives elections at the earliest.
The election body, which has already announced the PR results of the provincial assembly polls, has withheld the results of the lower house citing constitutional provisions.
Article 84 (8) of the constitution says that each political party has to ensure representation of at least 33 percent women in the bicameral federal parliament through PR elections in the lower house when the first-past-the-post vote does not elect women in the required proportion and if the National Assembly is not inclusive enough.
The left alliance comprising the UML and the Maoist Centre in particular believes that since the constitution guarantees at least 37 percent women in the Assembly, representing 33 percent women in the lower house will fulfil the constitutional requirement.
On Monday, leaders from the two parties urged the EC to make public the PR results arguing that the constitution does not bar the poll authority from allotting seats to the parties even before the National Assembly comes into existence.
UML leader Subas Nembang, a member of the joint delegation, said they urged the EC to declare the PR results honouring the spirit of the constitution rather than its letter.
“The spirit of the constitution is to ensure at least 33 percent women in the federal parliament, which will be fulfilled once PR candidates are elected by ensuring 33 percent female members in the lower house,” said Nembang.
According to him, they told the election commissioners that putting the poll results on hold for long does not send a positive message to the public. EC officials are said to have responded that have no intention of prolonging the stalemate but insisted on following the due constitutional and legal procedures.
“We told the left alliance leaders that the EC would act as per the constitution, law and directives,” said EC Spokesman Dinesh Ghimire. If the EC continues on its stance of not announcing the PR vote results before National Assembly election, formation of the new government will be delayed.
The government is yet to schedule the upper house elections.
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