Leaders of political parties registered at the Election Commission for the upcoming municipal elections have said taking part in the elections is essential for reestablising democracy on the right track, state-run Radio Nepal reported Monday.

They also said that minor incidents should not affect the elections and feared that the situation would become worse if elections were not held in the present situation.

Speaking at a face-to-face program organized by the Reporters' Club Nepal here on Sunday, President of Nepali Congress ( Nationalist) and Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Pokharel said the country is facing the present situation due to the inability of the bigger political parties who ran the government in the past and dissolved the parliament and the local bodies but failed to hold elections.

It is undemocratic to say that elections cannot be held and a violation of the rights of the people to tell them not to vote, Pokharel said, adding that she expects a 50-60 percent of turnout of voters in the municipal elections.

President of Hariyali Party Nepal Kuber Sharma expressed the view that the country would take a more regressive path if the elections were not held.

General Secretary of Nepal Sadvawana Party Devendra Mishra said the party has already decided to take part in the elections and the probable candidates are already competing to become the official candidate of the party in the election.

Similarly, President of Socialist Democratic People's Party Prem Bahadur Singh said the party has already decided in principle to take part in the elections and added that the government should make necessary security arrangement.

President of Rastrabadi Milan Kendra Ganesh Bahadur Pandey said the party has already decided to contest in 48 municipalities and urged the anti-government forces to give up arms and come for a dialog.

The Nepali government has said that it is ready to invite an international agency to monitor polls slated for Feb. 8, 2006.

A total of 4,146 office-bearers will be elected in the elections to be held in one metropolis, four sub-metropolis and 53 municipalities in 43 districts of the country.

As many as 72 political parties have been approved for the municipal elections.

Source: Xinhua