Preparation over for National Assembly election: EC

KATHMANDU, Jan 22: All the necessary preparations for the National Assembly (NA) election has been completed, said the Election Commission on Wednesday. The NA election is scheduled for tomorrow.

The election logistics including the ballot papers have reached the respective election offices, said the EC.

The voting centers are ready in all seven provinces, the election officers have reached their respective stations and the security forces have been deployed, the EC further stated.

The EC stated that a total of 2,056 voters comprising of 550 province assembly members and 1,056 local representatives are casting their votes in the election.

According to the EC, in Province 1, the polling station has been fixed at the Birendra Shava Griha in Biratnagar. Altogether 367 voters, including 93 provincial assembly members and 284 local representatives, are casting the vote.

In Province 2, the polling center has been set up at Mahendra Narayannidhi Memorial building in Janakpur. A total of 379 voters, comprising of 107 province assembly members and 272 in local representatives, will cast their vote in the province.

Likewise, in Bagmati Province, the voting center has been set up at the building of the Lalitpur -4 ward office. The province has 348 voters–110 province assembly members and 238 local representatives.

Similarly, in Gandaki Province, the voting center has been set up at the premises of the District Election Office, Kaski. The province has a total of 230 voters, which include 60 province assembly members and 170 local representatives.

In Province 5, the voting center has been set up at the Karmachari Milan Kendra in Ghorahi. The province has 305 voters, which include 85 provincial assembly members and 218 representatives from local bodies.

In Karnali, the voting center has been fixed at the premises of the Surkhet District Election Office. The province has a total of 198 voters, including 40 province assembly members and 158 local representatives.

In Sudurpaschim Province, the voting will take place at Padma Public Mukti Narayan Higher Secondary School. There are 229 voters, comprising of 53 province assembly members and 176 members of local bodes, in the province.

The province assembly member vote has a weight of 48 whereas each chairperson, mayor, vice-chairperson, deputy-mayor has a weight of 18.

The EC stated that of the total 11 political parties registered at the commission, only six parties viz. Nepal Communist Party, Nepali Congress, Samajbadi Party, Rastriya Janta Party Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Labor and Peasant Party have registered their candidacy in the election.

The voting will take place between 10: 00 am and 4:00 pm tomorrow.

The NA election is electing 18 members in the 59-member NA as the two-year tenure of 19 lawmakers–eight lawmakers of Nepal Communist Party, seven lawmakers of Nepali Congress, two lawmakers of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, one of Samajbadi and one nominated by the President–is due to expire on March 3, 2020.

One member will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the cabinet. Article 86 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal states that term of office of the one-third of the NA shall expire in two years, another one-third in four years and the tenure of the final one-third will be six years.

The arrangement of their retirement was made by drawing lots.

Photo: Mukunda Kalikote/Reporters’ Club Nepal