Kathmandu - Nepal's Election Commission has fixed April 10
as the date for by-elections in constituencies that have fallen
vacant, the first elections since the country's former Maoist rebels
formed a government, official media reports said Saturday.
The by-elections will be a gauge of the popularity of Nepals'
Maoists who emerged as the single largest party in the constituent
assembly last year.
The Election Commission said voting would take place for six
constituencies in western and south-eastern Nepal after seats were
vacated by the incumbents after last year's assembly election, the
government-owned Rising Nepal newspaper reported.
The commission said electronic machines would be used and
government-issued identification documents were mandatory for people
to cast their ballots. Identification was not required during the
previous election.
Elections are to take place in two constituencies in Morang
district in eastern Nepal for seats vacated by ethnic Madhesi leaders
and one constituency in Rolpa district in western Nepal which was
vacated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who also won a seat in a
Kathmandu constituency.
Rolpa district is considered a Maoist heartland and was the
staging point for may Maoist guerrilla operations.
Similarly, President Ram Baran Yadav gave up his Dhanusha district
seat in south-eastern Nepal after he was elected president.
With 220 seats in the 601-seat constituent assembly, the Maoist
former rebels now lead Nepal's coalition government.
The party has, however, come under strong criticism for its
inability to control spiralling inflation and improve law and order.
The outcome of the election will not change the overall power
balance in the assembly, which is tasked with drafting a new
constitution for the Himalayan nation.
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