Nepal postpones local polls in Terai region to September 18

KATHMANDU: The Nepal government on Thursday decided to postpone elections to local bodies in Province no 2, which mostly covers the Terai region and is considered the heartland of Madhesi parties, against the backdrop of protests and uproar.

The elections in Province no 2 will be held on September 18 instead of June 28, according to the new schedule.

After several rounds of talks failed to convince Madhes-based parties to join the electoral process, the government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba decided to postpone the polls. The Madhesi parties have resorted to protests in Nepal’s southern belt that is also known as the Terai.

During a meeting with Deuba on Thursday, Madhesi leaders clearly communicated that “they will not take part in elections until their demands are met”, sources said.

The Madhes-based parties, which recently formed the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN), said they would participate in polls only after the new Constitution is amended and the numbers of local government units is increased according to the population ratio.

A Cabinet meeting decided to postpone the elections in Province 2 in line with an agreement with Madhes-based parties.

However, the Election Commission expressed strong reservations about the decision, describing it as a “political and electoral disaster”.

This is the third time that the government has deferred the local elections to accommodate the demands of the agitating Madhes-based parties.