NA Election: EC urges for fair election

Kathmandu, Jan 24: The Election Commission has urged all sides concerned to help conduct the National Assembly (NA) election in a free and fair atmosphere.     

The election to the members of NA is being held on Thursday (Jan 25).     

All preparations are over for the elections, EC said, adding that the silent period was in effect from Tuesday midnight. It is the time prohibiting electoral publicity.     

The time for voting is slated from 9:00 am to 3:00pm at the respective polling centres in provinces. The Province Assembly members, chairs and vice chairs of rural municipalities, and mayors and deputy mayors of municipalities are the voters.     

EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma informed that the publicity campaigns as discussions, interactions, assemblies and workshops were banned during the silent period. The officials of political parties, candidates, sister organizations of the parties are urged to abide by election code of conduct.     

For the Province Assembly members, the EC has managed ballot papers with green election symbols printed on white paper, while for mayors, deputy mayors, chairs and vice chairs, there are red election symbols printed on white paper.     

The EC has directed the voters to exercise their rights to voting being present with any identity card determined by the EC.     

The NA election is taking place tomorrow for 19 seats that are going to be vacant from March 4. The weightage of vote from Province Assembly members is 53 while 19 of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the rural municipalities and mayors and deputy mayors of municipalities. There are 2,047 voters for NA election.     

Meanwhile, the EC on Wednesday asked the Chief District Officer of Morang district to submit a report within 24 hours after it received the information that some of the political parties carried out election publicity in Biratnagar during silence period that violated the election code of conduct. (RSS)