Nepal's Election Crisis: Why Karki's Delayed Talks Spark Political Tensions

Amid complaints from major political parties over the government’s failure to initiate dialogue despite the announcement of fresh elections for the House of Representatives on March 5 next year, Prime Minister Karki invited party leaders for talks.

Following the deadly GenZ protests on September 8 and 9, which resulted in 76 deaths in various incidents linked to the unrest, then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from his post, paving the way for Karki to form a new government on September 12.

As per the demands of GenZ leaders, she recommended the dissolution of the House of Representatives to President Ram Chandra Poudel, who subsequently dissolved the lower House and set the date for fresh elections.

Although Prime Minister Karki has emphasised that the main mandate of her government is to hold elections within six months, the failure to hold dialogue with political parties—who are expected to contest the elections—was called into question by party leaders.

Earlier, on October 10, she had attended a meeting organised by President Poudel with senior leaders of political parties, during which the President urged them not to shy away from participating in the elections.

According to a press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat on Tuesday, Prime Minister Karki clarified the reasons behind the delay in holding dialogue with political parties.

“It took time to hold talks with political parties because the government was occupied with addressing the grievances of the GenZ protesters, providing treatment to those injured during the protests, managing the bodies of the martyrs, and rehabilitating their families,” she said.

She added that some GenZ youths were initially against holding talks with political parties, but President Poudel played a crucial role in opening the door for dialogue.

Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, said that the dialogue primarily focused on the law and order situation.

During the meeting, party leaders particularly raised concerns about maintaining law and order to ensure a favourable election environment. In response, Prime Minister Karki said the government was committed to conducting elections in a free, fair, and fearless environment.

“For this, security agencies have been mobilised accordingly,” she said. “Let’s go to the polls and play our part in making the elections a success.”

Party leaders and security experts have expressed alarm over the government’s failure to recover looted weapons and ammunition, as well as to recapture prisoners who escaped during the GenZ protests, warning that these could be used to disrupt law and order ahead of the elections.

According to police, more than 1,200 rifles and pistols and nearly 100,000 rounds of ammunition were looted during the protests. Likewise, nearly 15,000 prisoners escaped from jails, and some have reportedly re-engaged in criminal activities. Most of the weapons have not yet been recovered, and thousands of escaped convicts remain at large.

During Tuesday’s meeting, leaders of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN (UML), in particular, expressed doubts about the government’s ability to conduct elections, Prime Minister’s Secretariat stated by quoted Minister Jagadish Kharel as saying.

The UML, led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has been insisting on the reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives, arguing that its dissolution was unconstitutional.

During an interaction with editors on Sunday, the former Prime Minister claimed that the current government has no intention of holding elections, regardless of its public assurances.

Senior leaders of seven political parties—including the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), and CPN (Maoist Centre)—arrived at the Prime Minister’s official residence for dialogue, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. However, top leaders of these parties, including former Prime Ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), did not attend the meeting.

- IANS