While suggestions are making rounds that the second phase of local elections are being postponed for a few days to accommodate the agitating Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), the Election Commission (EC) has continued with its preparations for holding the polls on planned date of June 14.

As the nomination date of candidate for the second round of polls has been fixed on June 2, the EC is set to open offices of the election officers in 461 local units of 41 districts in provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7 on Monday for the purpose.

The first phase of local polls were in 283 local units of 34 districts in provinces 3, 4 and 6.

The offices of chief election officers, which are already in place in 41 district headquarters, will also oversee elections in main local units based in district headquarters.

The election officers will be mobilised to hold elections in the remaining 420 local units, according to the EC. 

An election officer is also responsible for holding the elections of Dalit and women representatives in village and municipal councils, according to Local Level Election Act. 

 “We have continued our preparations for the second phase of local elections with the aim of holding elections on June 14 irrespective of political developments,” said Nawaraj Dhakal, joint secretary at the EC.

On top of 11,931 volunteers mobilised for election education and security personnel, more than 70,000 government staffers are being mobilised for the second phase of polls, according to Dhakal.  

Considering the high rate of invalid votes observed in the first phase of elections, the EC has made it mandatory for the volunteers to produce evidence that they had reached out to each household in a ward to claim their remuneration. 

The EC has decided to use red ink to mark the Swastika stamp on the ballot paper for the second phase of polls following complaints about blue ink in the first phase.