EC preparing for presidential poll

By A Staff Reporter 

Kathmandu, Nov. 5: The Election Commission (EC) has been preparing to hold the elections of the president and vice-president in late February next year.

Talking to The Rising Nepal on Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said the elections would take at least 15 days before the term of the president and vice-president expires. 

President Bidya Devi Bhandari was re-elected on March 13, 2018 for the second term in office. 

“By December 8, the final vote results of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the provincial assemblies will be prepared and the report submitted. This will pave the way for the formation of the new government,” said Thapaliya. 

“With this, a new session of the parliament will be convened. As soon as the session is convened and the members of the parliament take oath of office, the EC will get voters for the presidential and vice-presidential elections,” said Chief Commissioner Thapaliya. 

“The election process which started with the local level elections will be completed only after electing the president and vice president.”  

Talking the issue of candidacy cancellation of Dr. Toshima Karki, a candidate of Rastriya Swatantra Party in Lalitpur-3, Thapaliya said the EC was approaching the Supreme Court (SC) demanding detailed interpretations on the issue.  

The SC on Tuesday issued an interim order not to implement its decision to annul the candidacy of Karki, who is a member of the Nepal Medical Council (NMC.  

The EC decided to disqualify Dr. Karki from the election arguing that she held a public post as she was elected a member of the NMC. 

Stating that the decision was made because the EC had to decide whether she is qualified for the candidacy or not, Thapaliya said the decision was made based on the orders and judgments given by the court regarding the similar nature of the ‘issues’ rose in the recently held local level elections and the existing laws as well.

“Since the question was raised again in the court regarding the interpretation that a person holding a public post cannot be a candidate, the EC will go to the court with the desire that it should be interpreted in such a way that the issue will never be repeated again,” he added. 

“The commission will go to the court by tomorrow. Preparations are being made accordingly,” he added. 

Chief Thapaliya further said that the EC was making preparations to ensure the voting rights for Nepalis living aboard after November 20 elections. 

For this, the EC would start the process of registering voters’ name in the voters’ list from the country where the concerned person is residing, he added. Thapaliya also assured that the EC would ensure the rights to reject and right to recall for the next elections. 

Talking about the inclusive participation of the women, minorities and persons with disabilities, Thapaliya said, “Arrangements will be made in a way that will not only ensure their representation but also ensure their candidacy in the first-past-the-post electoral system and also in head and deputy head of the local level.”