Nepali Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhoj Raj Pokhrel Wednesday said it would be difficult for the Election Commission (EC) to conduct Constituent Assembly (CA) polls on June 20, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported Thursday.

Talking to journalists at the District Election Office, Pokhrel asked, "How can the CA poll be conducted when a conducive environment for the poll has not been created yet?"

He said he was surprised to see the political parties claiming to hold CA polls on June 20 when the government has not started legal procedures for the poll yet.

"Two Acts necessary to conduct the CA poll on time haven't been formulated yet," he said, adding, "We need Acts and directives first so that a conducive environment for the polls can be created and we can educate voters about the CA polls."

"Within a day or two, we will notify the government whether the CA polls are possible on June 20 or not," Pokhrel said.

He regretted that the government was dragging its feet instead of moving swiftly to create a favorable environment for the elections. "We will be able to hold the poll successfully only when the security situation of the country improves," Pokhrel said, adding: "Our sole objective is to ensure that maximum voters cast votes. Voters must feel secure and they must be enthusiastic about the elections," he said.

Source: Xinhua