The Nepali government finally announced Nov. 22 as the much-awaited election date of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday.

After prolonged delay, a meeting of the Council of Ministers, held in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu, approved Nov. 22 as the CA poll date as proposed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

"Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala proposed Nov. 22, 2007 as the poll date; all the cabinet members agreed to it," said Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is also the government spokesperson.

The CA elections that would draft a new constitution of the country was scheduled to take place in mid-June in the peace agreement signed in November 2006.

The CA elections had been earlier slated for June 20, but it was postponed after the Election Commission asked for more time for the preparations.

The announcement of the election date came after the task force, including members from eight major political parties, met Saturday afternoon and reached the agreement that Sunday's cabinet meeting would announce the date.

The cabinet meeting on Sunday also decided to extend the deadline of the Election Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) by 21 days.

Although the election date was announced, leaders of political parties, civil society and general public expressed view that the government should work hard for the success of the proposed date for elections.

Talking to Xinhua, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato said that the eight parties should conduct the CA elections within stipulated time, adding that "the primary responsibility bestowed by the public to this government was to conduct the CA elections."

In response to the skepticism expressed about the success of the CA polls within stipulated time due to ongoing violence in southern Nepal, Mahato said that the government should hold talks with the political parties in order to address their demands.

He added the rule of law should be established in the country by using necessary measures to curb the criminal activities in southern Terai region for the success of the elections.

The minister said that the role of Election Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) would be vital for the success of the CA elections. The ECDC should honestly work during the extended period and present report that would be acceptable for all.

Similarly, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a civil society member, said that by announcing the date, the government has displayed their commitment to hold the CA elections. However, he added that announcement of the date does not guarantee 100 percent success of the elections.

Tuladhar said that the political parties should display utmost commitment to ensure the success of the polls by addressing problems looming all over the country.

He added the civil societies are organizing a peaceful demonstration in Kathmandu on Tuesday to advocate proportionate elections procedure and persuade the eight-party leadership to be honest while preparing for the elections.

(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2007)