Civil servants urge government to postpone polls

As the date of the municipal polls is coming nearer, people of different walks of life are urging the government to postpone it and hold it only after reaching consensus with the major political parties.

Nepal Government Employees' Organization (NGEO) and Confederation of Nepalese Professionals (CONEP) have urged the government to postpone poll dates until a consensus is reached among the major political forces, reports said.

They have called on the government not to hold elections amid chaos and conflict in the country risking the safety and life of the employees. They have urged the government to explore options for a negotiated peace instead.

The NGEO handed over a memorandum to Election Commission on Monday, requesting the Commission to ensure security of life of polling officials and their family members during and after the polls, if the government wants to hold the polls.

The CONEP, an umbrella organization of 400,000 professionals has also called on the government to bridge the disparity of allowances to be provided to the polling staff. It also urged the government to arrange adequate insurance for the employees if polls were held.

The government is holding the municipal polls on February 8 despite the call of major political parties to actively boycott it and Maoist threats to disrupt it. nepalnews.com pb Jan 24 06