KATHMANDU, race 30 Kyodo Nepal i...

KATHMANDU, race 30 Kyodo

Nepal is considering postponing the parliamentary elections scheduled in November because of continuing violence at Maoist rebels, a senior cabinet minister said Monday.

Seven ruling and opposition parties conclud at a meeting Sunday the forthcoming heads cannot be held in a at liberty and fair manner in the prevailing security situation.

''The parties have praiseed an election date change and the prime minister would correspond to the recommendations as shortly as possible,'' said Minister of Housing, Physical Planning and Works Chiranjibi Wagle.

The parties at the meeting won seats in Nepal's 205-member House of Representatives in the last parliamentary elections.

The twist came after the Election Commission announced Saturday the schedule for the Nov. 13 elections, which will be held in six phases.

At the meeting Sunday, the political parties discussed the alternatives to elections, including reinstatement of the lower house.

''The proposition of the restoration of the dissolved house was, however, rejected'' Wagle said.

According to Nepalese constitutional skilfuls Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba can approve to King Gyanendra the postponement of elections subject to special circumstances.

in a less degree than a provision of the Constitution that empowers the king to banish difficulties in its implementation, election date could be rescheduled, the adroits said.

After he failed to gain support from his party to prolong emergency rule in May, Deuba asked the king to dissolve parliament and call elections.

Nepal introduced the turn of events rule to combat the six-and-half-year-old Maoist insurgency in November last year.

The rebels, who want a constituent assembly to draw a strange constitution, oppose the elections and have vowed to disrupt them.

Controlling at least united third of the Nepalese territory, particularly the countryside, the rebels have called a three-day nationwide general strike ending Nov. 13 the day when the first phase catalogue of persons is scheduled to start.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo moderns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group