National
Silence period for Sunday’s vote begins
Silence period for the first phase of federal parliament and provincial assembly elections being held on Sunday in 32 mountain and upper-hill districts began at midnight Thursday.Silence period for the first phase of federal parliament and provincial assembly elections being held on Sunday in 32 mountain and upper-hill districts began at midnight Thursday.
The Election Commission has said no political party, candidates, party office bearers, independents, civil society, voters and mass media can be involved in publicity for the polls.
The EC has urged the media not to violate the election code of conduct during the silence period as that would influence voters of the first-phase polls even though campaigns for the second phase vote scheduled for December 7 continue in the remaining 45 districts.
The Election Code of Conduct (Third amendment -2017) restricts canvassing for votes by the candidates and the parties even through digital media such as Facebook, Twitter and Viber. All the publicity materials placed within 300 metres of the polling centre must be taken out.
In the first phase, 3,191,945 voters are casting their ballot from 4,465 polling centres. As many as 702 candidates—including 282 (266 male and 16 female) for federal parliament and 420 (400 male and 20 female) for the provincial assemblies—are contesting for 37 federal and 74 provincial seats, according to election officials.
The districts where elections are taking place on Sunday are Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Okhaldhunga, Taplejung, Panchthar and Khotang in Province-1; Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, Sindhupalchok, Dolakha and Ramechhap in Province-3; Mustang, Myagdi, Baglung, Manang, Lamjung and Gorkha in Province-4; Rukum (east) and Ropla in Province-5; Rukum (west), Jajarkot, Humla, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot and Dolpa in Province-6; and Darchula, Bajhang, Bajura and Baitadi in Province-7.
According to EC Spokes-person Navaraj Dhakal, registered voters who have not got their IDs could collect their cards from the respective polling centres on November 24 and 25 for the first-phase vote and on December 5 and 6 for the second phase.