Martin doubts of timely CA polls

It is not only the election commissioner even the Chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Ian Martin reiterated his doubts regarding the prospect of holding the elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) on June 20. During a meeting with CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal Tuesday in Kathmandu the UNMIN chief wondered how the CA elections could take place in such a short time frame since a lot of concerns had to be fulfilled before going to the polls.

Martin inquired as to how the elections could take place by the stipulated time even when the arms storage process, formation of necessary laws related to the elections were still not completed.

Everybody including the eight party alliances agree at this moment a sense of security is yet to be instilled in the nation.

Nepal’s reply in this tregard seems to be like conducting the CA elections by hook and crook in the stipulated time. The UML chief said that timely elections would take place since the interim government's primary duty was to hold the CA elections.

Kantipur reported that Nepal argued the elections would have to take place on time "if just to prevent the nation from going through a difficult situation by the protraction of the present transition phase."

It is learnt that the two people in the half hour meeting at Nepal’s residence in Koteshwore discussed various aspects of the CA polls.

The duo held discussions on the peace process after the formation of the interim government and various other political issues as well.