Nepal Prime Minister Karki hints at possibility of elections in two phases

kathmandu – Prime Minister Sushila Karki on March 5 said polling in hills may be held in the second phase if extreme cold makes commuting difficult.

Speaking to The Washington Post at the concluding ceremony of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) students’ training at the Nepal Army cantonment at Sithhati Hall in Nawalpara on Tuesday, Karki said the government would opt for the second phase only in exceptional circumstances.

She also outlined preparations to ensure smooth voting in remote mountainous areas, including moving voters to locations accessible by road.

“We have the option of phase two if extreme cold disrupts election campaigning on scheduled dates,” the prime minister said.

Karki expects the election to be a milestone in ensuring stability and peace in the country.

The prime minister dismissed speculation that the election could be postponed and said no one had raised the issue with her. “The election will not be postponed. The election will be held on the scheduled date,” she told The Washington Post.

She added that even groups that are skeptical of the electoral process are using various reasons to participate in the upcoming elections. She claimed that the development reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring peaceful voting with enthusiastic participation across the country.

She said the overall poll expenditure will be around Rs 30-3200 crore.