The government has backtracked from its decision to scrap district election offices. The government backed out after the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmakers obstructed the Parliament meeting on Tuesday demanding that the decision to scrap the district election offices be rolled back. In the meeting, Finance Minister Prakash Saran Mahat expressed his commitment not to confine the district elections offices within the district administration office.

“We had not said that the offices will be scrapped in the context of commission. Election offices will remain as they are,” he said.

Minister Mahat said that the government will not deviate from the belief that ordinary citizens can freely participate in the elections in a fair and fearless environment. “We will guarantee the independence of the Election Commission. Initiatives will be taken to make the district election offices more independent and effective,” he said. Saying that they stand in favor of the independent existence of the Election Commission, he expressed his commitment that the government will do its best not to create doubt on the same, Minister Mahat said. Earlier, in the Parliament meeting today, the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmakers staged a protest against the proposal to bring the district election offices under the CDO office.