The Election Commission (EC) has formally announced that it won't be able to hold fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) elections on 22 November. On the eve of 27 May, the deadline to finish constitution writing, the government dissolved the CA and announced fresh polls. However, it failed to look into constitutional and other legal provisions concerning elections. The EC has said that it cannot formulate rules and directives for elections in the absence of clear legal provisions.

It is clear that the state didn't take into account legal formalities concerning elections and also failed to discuss the matter with other political parties. The government couldn't even amend electoral laws and the interim constitution before the 22 July deadline. At a time when there is no parliament and all the political parties are busy bickering, there is almost no hope for consensus to amend the Interim Constitution.

On the one hand, the government isn't willing to budge unless differences over controversial issues are resolved. On the other hand, the opposition parties NC and UML have refused to cooperate unless the current government steps down. All of this is dragging the country into deeper political and constitutional void. The political parties have pushed aside the welfare of the nation and the people to fulfill their personal greed.

The EC's top post will soon be vacant and the remaining officials are also approaching retirement. These posts are unlikely to be filled anytime soon because of the dissolved parliament. It will be difficult to hold elections through a commission, which has no head. It's not just the government, but all political parties who were a part of the CA are responsible for the existing political and constitutional deadlock. The parties now need to help clear all legal hurdles concerning election and take the country forward before it's too late.