Centenarians cast their votes

BY OUR CORRESPONDENTs, Ilam/Tanahun/Dang, Nov. 21: Three persons aged over 100 years cast their votes in the elections to the House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies on Sunday. Mana Bahadur Rai, 115, has cast his vote in Phakphokthum Rural Municipality in Ilam. 

He cast his vote from the polling station of Singha Devi Secondary School, Sikari Bhanjyang. According to his citizenship certificate, Rai was born in Eakatappa in 1907.  Likewise, 113-years-old Gopi Maya Pokharel of Sepabagaincha of Bhanu Municipality-5 in Tanahun cast her vote on Sunday. Engineer Jagdish Dhungana, the polling officer, said that she cast her vote at Mahadevata Primary School in the same area. Pokharel said she was happy to cast her vote.  "I am very happy to get the opportunity to vote at this age; five years ago I thought I would not be able to vote again."

She cast her vote with the help of her sons Chopkanta Pokharel and Taranath Pokharel as she could not see properly. She expressed her desire that the person who got the vote should win and do a good job. Pokharel had also cast her vote in the local level elections held in May this year. 

She remembered the day to cast vote as voters had visited her during the election campaign, said Bharat Pokharel her grandson. She was born in August 1909, said Yashastha Pokharel, her daughter-in-law, said that she can walk normally with a stick. Meanwhile, according to our Dang correspondent, Sundar Ram Chaudhary, 103, has also cast his vote in the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections on Sunday.  Sundar Ram Chaudhary, a resident of Langdi in Lamahi Municipality, Dang, cast his vote at his polling station, Dumduma, on Sunday morning. Chaudhary, cast his vote with the help of his son Dandiram Chaudhary. 

Chaudhary, who has been actively participating in every election since his voting age, has also shown his active participation in this election. He wants to vote in the next election as well. "I want to vote in next election as well. I feel glad to choose representatives through vote," he said.  The Election Commission (EC) had made arrangements for senior citizens, disabled, pregnant women and new mothers for voting without standing in a queue. Sundarram also said that he was able to vote easily without standing in line.