EC committed to making elections a success

The Election Commission is engaged in intensive preparations to make the local level election scheduled for April 12 a success. The commission, which has been conducting regular work in preparation for the upcoming election, has also approved the election schedule.

At a press meet organized by the Commission today, Secretary Gokarnamani Dawadi informed that they have been engaged in intensive preparations to make the election a success and have also approved the work schedule.

The election schedule includes activities such as preparing the final voter list, managing materials, registering political parties, preparing voter education materials and conducting programs, preparing and publishing election programs, appointing election officials and setting up offices, and enforcing the election code of conduct.

There is a schedule for designating polling stations at designated polling stations, assessing and mobilizing manpower for the conduct of elections, conducting training programs, managing election observation, and monitoring, managing ballot papers, registering candidates' nomination papers, providing election symbols, and conducting election-related campaigning.

Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel informed that the work schedule has been approved for conducting voter education, printing and transportation, and distribution of voter identity cards, security arrangements, voting, counting of votes, and announcement of results.

The government has already announced the date for holding the election in one phase on the same date in consultation with the commission.

Although the commission needed 120 days to conduct election management, it had 95 days to announce the date. The right to be a voter has been ensured by including the name of a Nepali citizen who has completed 18 years of age in the voters' roll for the election to be held on the basis of adult suffrage under the direct supervision, control, supervision, and direction of the Commission. As the voter list is being collected regularly, the registration of names in the voter list has been postponed on December 10 after the election date was announced.

The constitution has made provision for the name of every Nepali person who has completed 18 years of age to be included in the final voter list. According to the commission, the date of reaching the age of 18 years in the election has been fixed on April 12, i.e. the day before the election. The provision has ensured that about two lakh more youths will be able to exercise their voting right.

Spokesperson Sharma said that it is estimated that 17.9 million voters will be retained considering the date of reaching the age of 18 on April 12. It was informed on the occasion that the preparation of the budget required for the election management has reached the final stage and it is estimated that about Rs. 12 billion budget will be required for the election.

In concurrence with Nepal Government,  the proposal of budget and permission is under process and prior to that, material procurement is already under process after the Finance Ministry allotted the budget via competitive measures.

It was informed that drafts of the election code of conduct, manpower management directory, economic directory, local level election directory, election monitoring directory, security (management) directory, voting directory, vote counting directory, voter education program implementation guideline are being prepared.

During the intensive preparations for the election, the office hours of the Election Commission and its subordinate offices have been maintained from 9 am to 6 pm and arrangements have been made to perform regular work even on holidays.

It was informed that a working group has been formed to study the work and submit a report within seven days as per the discussions and consultations held with the experts regarding the possibility of using electronic voting equipment in the election. The Commission will provide voter ID cards for the newly added voters and the Election Code of Conduct will apply at all levels from the date on which the Commission decides where and how to apply.

The Commission will hold press meets twice a week (every Monday and Thursday) at 4 pm from the spokesperson or assistant spokesperson to establish easy access to information among the general public and all stakeholders for the election and its regular activities.

In the coming days, the commission will also publish a daily 'e-bulletin' covering all election activities. On the occasion, Assistant Spokesperson Surya Prasad Aryal said that the press meet was launched with the objective of informing the people about the upcoming election activities on the basis of coordination and cooperation between the Commission and the mass media.

Meanwhile, it was informed that Election Day would be celebrated in seven state election offices and 70 district election offices by organizing various programs on March 22 as in previous years.