KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has yet again slammed the Election Commission (EC) for allocating two days for the nomination of candidates in the local level election.

Earlier, the leader of the main opposition had objected to the election body’s decision to use green color ballots in local election slated for May 13.

Speaking at a program in Fikkal, Illam, on Sunday, the UML chair said, “The EC always set aside one day for registration of candidates. But this time, it has allocated two days for candidacy registration.” He questioned why two days were given this time, arguing that a single day was enough for the purpose.

The EC, approving the election schedule for the upcoming local election last week, announced that candidature registration would be held on April 24 and 25.

Oli asked if the election body was responsible to manage differences among the five-party ruling coalition, reasoning perhaps the EC might have done so to buy time for the coalition partners to sort out their differences while filing candidacies in the local level election. “Is it the EC’s job to resolve issues of the five-party ruling coalition,” he wondered.

He accused the ruling coalition of abusing the election body to favor themselves in the upcoming local level polls. “I respect the EC and hence, I would like to remind it that the EC should not take sides and perform in a neutral manner,” he said.

He added that the EC had not consulted the parties and decided on the color of the election symbol in a way that favors the Nepali Congress.

Nepali Congress election symbol ‘Tree’ features green color.