EC preparing six types of ballot papers; ECN appraises PM of election preparation

Kathmandu / March 17: The Election Commission is preparing six types of ballot papers for the upcoming local level elections slated for May 14.

Efforts are underway to prepare various six types of the ballot papers, small or big, as different political parties have been registered to participate in the polls, said the Commission Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma. The highest number of political parties- 47- has been registered in Kathmandu for the elections, Manang has the fewest- only 7.

Although the date set by the Commission to begin the printing of the ballot papers expired on Saturday, the process will start within a day or two, said the Commission. Janak Education Materials Centre has been contracted for the print.

Approximately 21,000 election centers are estimated to be set up for around 14 million voters. The polls are vied for the total posts of 36,639 in the municipalities and village municipalities across the country. Of them, the total of 1,488 chief and deputy chief of municipalities and 789 members including from Dalit and minority communities will be elected.

Likewise, the vote will elect 33,400 ward chairpersons and vice chairpersons in rural municipalities and 962 ward members from Dalit and minority communities.

There are 744 local units including 481 rural municipalities, 246 municipalities, 12 sub-metropolitan cities and four metropolitan cities and 6,680 wards across the nation. Only 26 parties representing in the Legislature-Parliament could participate in the election along with their respective symbols.

Section Officer at the Law and Political Branch of the EC, Gham Chandra Timsina, said that the remaining parties and independent candidates have to participate in the election along with the symbol determined by the EC.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has issued an interim order not to implement the decision of scrapping Samajbadi Janata Party led by Minister for Science and Technology, Prem Bahadur Singh.

Minister Singh had knocked the door of the SC after EC on March 4, 2016 cancelled its registration after the party failed to submit its income and expenditure details for more than three fiscal years continuously.

ECN appraises PM of election preparation

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) has appraised Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ of the preparations regarding the upcoming local election today.

Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav reached the PM’s residence at Baluwatar in the morning to inform the PM about ECN’s activities and ongoing preparations to hold local level election on May 14 this year.

During the meeting, Chief Commissioner Yadav and PM Dahal also discussed about enabling conducive environment for the election that has been long overdue.

Urging the PM for his positive intervention to help create political goodwill and mutual trust among the political parties, Chief Commissioner Yadav stated, “The ECN wants all the political parties, inside and outside the parliament, in the country to contest in the upcoming local level election.”

Reaffirming the ECN’s commitment for holding the constitution mandated election within the stipulated time, Yadav pressed for forging unity among the political parties by sorting out the differences to move ahead in unison for election.

He was of the opinion that all the Nepalis and the political parties must be able to feel ownership over the upcoming election.

PM Dahal, responding to Yadav, also reaffirmed his commitment to enable favorable political atmosphere for the election.

Among the issues brought to the knowledge of the PM include the number of work force to mobilize for the election and the ballot paper that is being published and maximizing the chances of holding election in some of the districts in Terai where Madhesh-centric political parties are protesting the election. RSS