Nepal PM asks EC to ensure fair and fraud-free polls

His comments came hours after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives and announced mid-term polls on November 12 and 19 after she determined that both embattled Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance''s candidate Sher Bahadur Deuba were not in a position to form a government.

Bhandari’s announcement came after Oli recommended the dissolution of the 275-member House following an emergency midnight Cabinet meeting.

In a meeting with the commissioners of the poll body, Prime Minister Oli said that the parliamentary elections were inevitable, myrepublica.com reported.

“The prime minister directed the election commission to expedite its preparations to hold the election on the stipulated dates," according to Surya Thapa, a press aide to Oli.

CPN-UML Chief Whip Vishal Bhattarai said Oli stressed For holding a fair and fraud-free election, according to The Rising Nepal, a government-owned newspaper.

Oli and President Bhandari have been accused of acting irresponsibly at a time when the country is facing a second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, leading to even more uncertain and unfavourable circumstances for the people.

COVID-19 has so far claimed 6,024 lives and infected 497,052 people in the country.

The leaders of Nepal''s Opposition alliance have decided to take all legal and political means to counter their "unconstitutional and undemocratic" move of dissolving the House of Representatives.