Election date will be announced after July 31: EC chief

Kathmandu, July 27:  Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said on Tuesday that the government is preparing to announce the date of the upcoming federal and provincial elections for November 20. 

“The EC has recommended the government to hold the federal and provincial elections on November 18. However, it will not be surprised if the government decides to hold the election on November 20 in one phase," said Thapaliya. 

Chief Commissioner Thapaliya said that the government was likely to announce the date of the election after July 31.

Considering the possible announcement of the election date, the EC has estimated that the time for the registration of voter list will continue till July 31, he added. 

Voters’ registration would be stopped as soon as the election date is announced, the Chief Commissioner said, adding, “However, those who have registered their names through online before July 31, will get their name registered in the voters’ list.”

“The EC needs at least 120 days to make preparations for conducting the election. But the date of the election to be announced by the government will not provide sufficient time for the preparations,” he added. 

He also expressed his belief that the EC would be successful in holding the elections (on November 20) even though the preparation time is short because the commission had been making internal preparations for the elections.

Talking about expenditure for the upcoming federal and provincial elections, Chief Commissioner Thapaliay said some of the election materials used in the May 13 local poll could be reused in the upcoming elections.  

Stating that the expenditure ratio in the upcoming election is likely to be higher compared to the local polls, he said “The number of voters will increase in the upcoming election, which will also increase the number of ballot papers. Similarly, the inflation rate and increment in the employee’s salary will also increase the expenditure.”

"Even though the proportion of expenses in the upcoming elections will increase, the EC will try to reduce the election cost,” he claimed. 

The EC has also suggested the government to conduct the upcoming elections in a single phase to make it cost-effective, he added. 

In another context, Chief Election Commissioner Thapaliya said that the EC was ready to use the Electronic Voter’s Machine (EVM) in federal and provincial elections. However, the government has not forwarded any step in this regard. 

The EC had advised the government to provide Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the upcoming elections prior to mid-August, he said, adding, “If the government manages the  EVMs in time, the commission is ready to conduct the elections through EVMs.”