Missing consensus

Political roadblock to timely election can be cleared if stakeholders show a spirit of accommodation.

On Monday, the Election Commission (EC) published a detailed schedule for the March 5 snap polls, directing any group aspiring to contest the election to register a political party by November 16. The EC has laid down a crystal-clear chronology, soundly scheduling January 16 for FPTP candidate registration and December 1 for PR candidates. With these deadlines looming, the prospects of snap polls are being jeopardised by a paralysing push and pull between President Ramchandra Paudel and interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki over who will call the traditional parties for a discussion to forge a political consensus over the elections. PM Karki, who was appointed through the mandate of the Gen Z movement, is reportedly hesitant to invite the political parties—the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, and the CPN (Maoist Centre)—for elections.