KATHMANDU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government on Wednesday deferred the second round of local body elections for the third time, a government spokesman said.
A meeting of the Council of ministers decided to reschedule the second round local body polls to avoid a clash with the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Surendra Karki, the government spokesman said here.
The government postponed the second phase elections following consultation with the Election Commission, the minister added.
The government's decision to postpone elections has come a day after a group of activists from the Muslim community requested Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to postpone the second round of elections planned for June 23. Around 5 percent population is Muslim in the Himalayan nation.
Earlier, the government planned to hold elections on June 14. However, the plan was deferred and rescheduled on June 23 to bring on board the elections the agitating Madhes-based parties, who had threatened to boycott and disrupt the elections in the Southern Terai plains.
Nepal held the first round of local body elections on May 14, as a major step to implement the historic new constitution promulgated in September 2015.
The first round of elections were held in 3, 4 and 6 provinces, mostly the hilly areas, while in the second round they will be held in 1, 2, 5 and 7 provinces bordering India.
Initially, the government planned to hold these local body elections on one day, but they were split into two rounds due to strong opposition from the Madhes-based six parties who represent Nepal's Southern Terai plains bordering India.
The Madhes-based parties have been agitated since the promulgation of new constitution in Nepal in 2015 with key demands including changes in the demarcation of the provincial boundaries.
