BIKRAM RAI
ANY LUCK?: Young boys search for coins in the Bagmati at Pashupati Aryaghat on Saturday afternoon.
Whatever the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict on the writ petition challenging the legality of the UCPN (M) proposal to make Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi the head of an election government, the question is not ‘if’ there will be elections, but ‘when’. June is out of the question, even November is looking iffy given the hemming and hawing from party leaders, so May 2014 may be a safe bet.

Whenever they decide to face voters, all parties will be desperate for a win, which makes it all the more important to have the mechanisms in place, the rules laid out and agreed, and the laws passed. This is a formidable task and renewing voter lists, demarcating constituencies that reflect new population densities, and requiring photo IDs for voters are questions with deep political ramifications. There is also a strong case to have local elections in June or November, preceding general elections.

The next general elections is up for grabs to anyone who can guarantee integrity, vision, and good governance.