What is the status of preparations for the elections?
We have done all the preparations. We have also invited political parties to hold discussions on the preparation of the code of conduct. But the political parties have boycotted the polls.

How can you hold elections when so many parties say they won't participate?
We had invited 59 parties and 34 were present. We don't care about the parties who didn't respond to our call.

Big parties like the Nepali Congress and UML are saying they will boycott the polls.
How can these parties that claim to abide by the present constitution say they will boycott the elections?

But the same constitution does not have any provision for the king to hold elections.
It is not the government that holds the elections. It is the Election Commission that conducts and controls the elections. The government only maintains law and order and provides the necessary manpower and budget.

Why were the election dates announced just when the Dasain holidays began?
That was the Election Commission's Dasain greeting to all the parties.

When former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba spoke of elections, you said that you would need six months to prepare. How can you say you are already prepared for these elections?
That was the time we needed then. It is quite natural to take time for such work. This time, the king had already instructed the commission to hold elections back on 14 April.