"Rest assured"

Chairman of the Interim Electoral Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi addressed the nation today at Singha Darbar, saying he was committed to holding free and fair elections on 19 November.

Regmi urged the parties to practice healthy competition in the run-up to the polls, and also requested opposing fringe parties to solve their differences through dialogue and take part in the polls.

After the High Level Political Mechanism handed Regmi the responsibility of passing the election bill, he met the chief commissioner of the Election Commission on 13 June and sent the election ordinance to the president for ratification, which was okayed by President Ram Baran Yadav today.

Regmi also addressed criticism of his "dual role" as head of both executive and judiciary saying he has kept himself away from the Chief Justice's role, and that he is head of executive only.