Ballot paper printing completes: EC

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, May 6: The Election Commission (EC) has completed printing ballot papers required for all 77 districts as part of its final preparations to conduct the local election on May 13 as announced by the government. “The printing of ballot papers required for the local polls has been completed. 

All the printed ballot papers will be dispatched by May 9,” said EC’s Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel. Ballot papers were printed at the state-run Janak Sikshya Samagri  Kendra (JSSK).  

According to the EC, a total of 19,400,000 ballot papers were printed for the local polls. Although there are a total 17.73 million plus voters for local level polls, the EC has printed 19.40 million keeping in mind the need for additional ballot papers.

The EC has also instructed the chief returning officers and the returning officers not to reshuffle the election officers, assistant election officers, assistant staff and teller (gadak) except for the urgent humanitarian or sensitive reasons, said Poudel. The EC has also asked the chief returning officer and returning officers to take strict action as per the prevailing law if any employee refuses to work except in case of above mentioned reasons, he added.

Spokesperson Poudel further informed that the EC has instructed all the staff deployed for the election to reach their designated places immediately and discharge their assigned responsibilities. EC asks government to close border 48 hours before poll day 

The EC has asked the government to close all international border points 48 hours before the polling day. 

According to the e-bulletin published by the EC, the commission has written to the government to make necessary arrangements to close all international border crossings 48 hours before the polling day. A meeting of the EC office-bearers on Thursday decided to send a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs to close the international border points from the midnight of May 10. 

The EC has also asked to stop all domestic traffic on the poll day, the e-bulletin added. 

According to the EC, the border transit points are to remain shut until the voting concludes, so the administrative work of the local poll will be completed in a free, fair and fearless manner. 

The EC has further decided to send a letter to the MoHA to strictly prohibit the sale, distribution and consumption of alcohol in sensitive areas from the midnight of May 10 until the voting concludes. Meanwhile, the EC has again sought clarification from Keshav Sthapit, the mayoral candidate of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) from the CPN-UML. Poudel said that the commission had sought clarification from Sthapit for his recent remarks about Balen Shah, an independent candidate for the post of KMC mayor.

Earlier, the EC had sought clarification from Sthapit over his derogatory comments against a woman at a recent programme in Kathmandu. 

Furthermore, the EC had sought written clarification from Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Trilochan Bhatta for violating election code of conduct.

Similarly, the EC has sought written clarifications from the candidates and leaders of various political parties for breaching election code of conduct.

The EC has also directed the chairman of the Election Observation Committee of Nepal, Pradip Pokhrel, to give a written explanation within 24 hours, citing that his recent statement was against the election code of conduct 2022, said Poudel.