EC completes printing of 30% ballot papers for FPTP election

By A Staff Reporter 

Kathmandu, Oct. 21: The Election Commission (EC) has said it has completed the printing of 30 per cent of ballot papers towards the first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies. 

The EC printed over 12,849,000 ballot papers under the FPTP electoral category for the elections of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Provincial Assemblies. 

Of the printed 12,849,000 ballot papers, 6,432,500 are for the Provincial Assemblies elections and 6,417,000 are for the HoR election, the EC informed. 

The EC said it has completed printing of ballot papers for 20 districts.

For the existing 17,988,570 voters, about 40 million ballots will be needed for the FPTP electoral system and about 40 million ballots for the proportional representative (PR) electoral system. 

With this, the printing of ballot papers under HoR elections of Salyan, Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Rukum West, Surkhet, Bajura, Bajhang, Doti, Darchula, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Achham, Kailali, and Kanchanpur districts has been completed. 

Similarly, the printing of ballot papers for the provincial assembly has also been completed for Salyan, Dolpa, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot, Humla, Jajarkot, Dailekh, West Rukum, Surkhet, Bajura, Bajhang, Darchula, Baitadi, Achham, Doti, Dadeldhura and Kailali districts.

Currently, printing is underway at the Janak Education Materials Centre, Sanothimi amid tight security arrangements. The EC had already printed eight types of ballots for the PR system before the FPTP nominations and presently the ballot papers are being transported to the districts. 

Dispatch of ballot papers for Sudurpaschim begins 

The EC has started shipping ballot papers printed under the PR electoral system in all districts of Sudurpaschim Province. On Thursday, the ballot papers for Kailali, Kanchanpur, Doti, Dadeldhura, Bajhang, Baitadi, Darchula and other districts were dispatched. The ballot papers have been transported to all the election constituencies in all the districts of Province 1, Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province. 

Total eight types of ballots have been printed for PR electoral system, including seven for provinces and one for the centre, the EC informed. 

Total 22.4 million ballot papers have been printed for the HoR under PR category and 21.8 million ballot papers for the Provincial Assemblies. 

More ballots have been printed for PR category in HoR because there will be temporary voters for the HoR election under PR category.