Miscellaneous
Stage set for by-polls; EC chief urges voters to cast their ballots without fear
The Election Commission (EC) has completed the preparations for the Constituent Assembly by-elections taking place on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner said on Friday.Speaking at media briefing organised at the EC headquarters in Kantipath on Friday, Uprety appealed all voters to cast votes to their favourite candidates without any fear.
He said all the logistics, including Electronic Voting Machines, have been transported to the respective election constituencies, and security and election officials are already there to conduct the election. Over 3,500 security personnel and poll workers have been deployed for the elections.
“We have done everything for the election. Now, the stage is ready for voters,” said Uprety.
The EC has set up 137 polling stations and 324 polling centres in four election constituencies of Kathmandu, Chitwan, Bardiya and Kailali districts. This time, the election body is using EVMs in all election constituencies. Similarly, special arrangements have been made in polling centres to assist the women, elderly people and physically disabled voters.
The by-election is taking place in Kathmandu-2, Chitwan-4, Bardiya-1, and Kailali-6 as their elected candidates relinquished the constituencies after they also emerged as victors from other constituencies in the CA polls. Nepali Congress (NC) leaders Sushil Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba were elected from Chitwan-4 and Kailali-6, while senior CPN-UML leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bam Dev Gautam won from Kathmandu-2 and Bardiya-1, respectively.
Stating that the tendency of contesting election from two election constituencies was a burden to the nation, Uprety asked the political leadership to correct wrong practise. “The political leadership should now demonstrate their will power to remove the provision of allowing a candidate to contest election from two constituencies,” said Uprety.
He said the state had to bear Rs 110 million additional cost this time due to the provision to allow senior leaders from two constituencies.
EC's idea to enforce 'one province one candidate' was revoked by the political parties in the November 19 CA elections.
EC Commissioner Ila Sharma urged print and electronic media not to publish/broadcast news materials favouring certain party or candidate during the silent hour.