KATHMANDU, Dec 5: Chief Election Commissioner Dr Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has appealed all the voters to cast their votes assuredly in Thursday’s second phase of federal and province assembly elections as the government has arranged full security for the same.

Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu on Tuesday, Dr Yadav also shared that all the necessary preparation for the phase II polls were complete.

He said, “The government has arranged a reliable security in view of the December 7 elections. I am fully confident of the government’s security arrangements for voters, candidates and leaders. Thus, I appeal all the voters to cast votes assuredly and in confidence.”

“I am grieved by a number of attacks targeting to election candidates and their campaign on the eve of elections. These anti-election activities are condemnable,” he added.

Stating that the upcoming elections have been taken as a grand festival, he added, “People’s participation during the election preparations was enthusiastic. The voters are excited about elections. I request all the voters to exercising their franchise freely and choose their candidates wisely.”

“All the managerial preparations for the elections have been completed. The Election Commission is standby 24/7 and fully prepared to solve any logistic difficulties if any seen in districts. The election officers have reached districts and busy in monitoring the voting centers of all 45 districts,” he added.

He further shared, “The election officers are in ready state to transport the ballot boxes safely to the district headquarters as soon as the voting completes.”

Yadav also clarified that the EC has already issued vote counting directives and also the readied the staffs to carry out the job.

He further said that the results of the first-past-the-post elections will be published within a week. “We have directed the concerned bodies for the same,” he added.

“We have also instructed to install CCTV cameras in the vote counting centers so as to avoid any untoward incidents,” he added.

CEC Yadav also requested all the political parties, candidates and media to respect the silent period and not to conduct any activities that violates the code of conduct and requested everyone to show the character of a civilized citizen abiding by the election code of conduct.

He also said that the voters’ education programs were being carried out effectively and also added that he was expecting more that 70 percent voters’ turn out in the second phase polls.

Narayan Prasad Ghimire 
JHAPA, Dec 1: When monsoon arrives, panic and fear surround the hearts of people living nearby Ratuwa River in Jhapa. Rains give them sleepless nights. The problem is not new, but the people in the settlement have been going through the same fear for years. The river which is quieter these days turns violent in the rainy season and enters the human settlements driving residents away from their home.

People residing in the settlements nearby Ratuwa river wish to see the construction of embankment to it. But when? They do not know. They are disappointed to see political parties and leaders raising their issue as an election agenda before elections, but never living up to their promises to do something to control the river that displaces a large score of people every year.

They feel more pain as they come to realize that the political leaders, whom they elect and send to the capital in expectations that they would do something in respect to their ballots to address their problem, just played with their sentiments and cheated on them. Their high sounding words heard in every election campaign were just for garnering votes.

“It has been over a decade since one popular face in the national politics promised to take measures to control the flooding from the river, but he never realized the need to live up to his promise,” said the 46-year-old Anil Rasaili, a resident of Kamal Rural Municipality who runs a shop near highway, “Our problem is as it is.”

The people here are fed up with all political parties and their leaders and their promises. The unemployment problem is highly prevalence in the settlements, pushing some youths to drugs abuse. Political leaders just give them false assurances, they never think it necessary to take initiations to establish industry and create employment opportunities for them.

Saraswoti Giri backed Rasaili’s remarks and said, “Leaders never talk about small thing. They talk about the development of nation, but forget their promises after the election.”

Giri has complains over journalists as well. She expressed her discontent over journalists failing to expose their issues to public/media. People of the village– that lies to the north of the East-West Highway in Jhapa– are living with numorous problems only to be desperately waiting for some committed leaders to realize their situation and make some concrete efforts to solve them.

Raj Kumar Halawai who runs a tea shop in this rural municipality opines that Jhapa would probably be in the forefront in terms of development provided that laying a foundation is considered to be development.

They are surprised to see and hear tactics of leaders of left and democratic alliances to woo the voters. The leaders who are frequently seen in their localities with ‘false’ promises of better life for them before and during the election, stop caring about their issues once the election is over- this is what people feel here. People here who do not any know political ism and are engaged in politics are gripped by day to day problems.

Senior citizen Bed Kumari Ghimire of Chandragadhi, Jhapa shares that this time she has decided to vote a leader who is literally committed to addressing her problem she has been facing every day since many years.

“A flock of wild elephant passes through my house yard early in the morning. I cannot go down to the ground floor before 6:00 am, sometimes, I have to cry for help from security people, they sound the siren to chase wild animals away. But our leaders never talk about such problem we are facing every day.”

Ramji Dahal of Birtamod sharing about problems of his town said,” Condition of roadways is very poor. Roads are badly damaged. It may not be a real problem for visitors (like political leaders) but is a major issue for the locals.”

Likewise, inundation is another problem of the people of Birtamod. Not only geographical location (low land) is responsible for this problem, but haphazard land plotting done by land mafia has also fueled the problem. Flooding from the Biring, Aduwa, Kankaimai and Ninda Rivers displace many people here, rendering them homeless.

Youth leader Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, CPN-UML Chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Center) leader Ram Karki, RPP leader Rajendra Lingden are in the election fray for the federal parliament from the district, but we have to wait to see how they will address the issues of locals here.

The second and final phase of the elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies is taking place on December 7 in 45 districts including Jhapa.

KATHMANDU, Nov 26: The voting of the first phase of the federal and provincial elections has begun in 37 constituencies of 32 districts. The voting started at 7 am and will continue till 5 pm.

Altogether 702 candidates (282 central parliament and 420 province assemblies) are contesting for 37 members of central parliament and 74 members of province assemblies.

Voters carrying identity cards have line up at the polling centers to cast votes since early morning.

KATHMANDU, Nov 19: Chief Election Commissioner Dr Ayodhi Prasad Yadav has said that the security challenge witness as political parties and candidates are busy with peaceful election campaign has drawn the serious attention of all.

Inaugurating a training organized for national observers here today, CEC Yadav said, “Why and for what purpose such incidents are taking place raises the question of security challenge.”

He said that all sides should follow the election code of conduct to hold the upcoming elections in a free and fearless manner and suggested the observers to observe the election activities in a non-partisan manner.

National Election Observation Committee Nepal Chairperson Himalaya Shumsher JB Rana and Executive Director Krishnaman Pradhan said that the NEOC has been carrying out election observation for the past 25 years and it is going to deploy 800 observers this time. RSS

Manoj Karki 
KATHMANDU, Nov 18: ‘No voters are fortunate enough than the Nepali Congress faithful in Chitwan, after voting for the CPN (Maoist Center) in local elections, they now have the opportunity to vote for the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Democratic.’

This was one among many statements in the social media highlighting the confusion that the voters in the country are currently facing, thanks to the unilateral decision of the leaders at the centre to forge so-called ‘alliance’ on the eve of the election to the House of Representatives and the Province Assemblies slated for November 26 and December 7.

In the local elections held in May earlier this year, Nepali Congress decided to support a CPN-MC candidate, the daughter of the party’s supremo for the post of Bharatapur Metropolitan City Mayor and thereby did not field its own candidate for the same. Hence, going by the decision taken by leaders in Kathmandu, NC voters in Bharatpur voted for a person who was in no way related to their party or its principle. Of course, the two parties were then partners in the coalition government.

Even though the party cadres were aghast and angry over the decision, they ultimately voted in favour of the CPN-MC candidate, and did it twice in a ward following a bizarre incident of tampering of ballot papers by party agents, and made sure she won. But as if that was not enough, the same voters now, just six months after the local elections, are being asked to vote not for their own party candidate but a candidate from the Rastriya Prajatatra Party-Democratic for the post of a member to the House of Representatives from Chitwan constituency no. 3.

Interestingly, while doing so, they will be voting against the party supremo of CPN-MC, that they helped last local elections win a mayoral seat for his daughter.
And the alliance continues far and wide, with almost every political party now joining hands with one or more parties to make sure that they win a majority or a seat or two in the federal parliament and the state assemblies. And this has created confusion among the voters, who are not very sure whom they will be voting for as the alliance formation is not uniform across the country.

And just as when the CPN-UML leaders were raising fingers at the NC for forging an electoral alliance with a party that is advocating for reinstatement of monarchy and Hindu state, it decided to do the same in the province no. 1. After being ditched by the NC at the last minute, RPP’s Rajendra Lingdel managed to rope in UML to support him in constituency no. 3 of Jhapa district. The NC had already decided to leave the constituency for him, but local candidate Krishna Prasad Sitoula decided otherwise, and is thereby contesting from his traditional constituency. And hence, the RPP has joined hands with the Nepali Congress in the country, baring province no. 1 where it will be supporting the CPN-UML for its support to leader Lingdel.

As a result, it will be tough task for the voters to remember whom to vote for as they enter the polling booth with the ballot paper in their hands. Furthermore, these were last minutes changes made and made at the will of central leaders, without the involvement of the local level cadres and leaders. Hence, there is already a sense disillusionment among the voters at large, which may in fact lead to a significant number of cross voting this elections.

BOMB BLASTS RISING
In the meantime, repeated incidents of bomb blasts taking place targeting candidates has become a matter of concern for voters and candidates alike, with only a week now left for the first round of elections being held on November 26.

A convoy of vehicles, also including a vehicle carrying Nepali Congress senior leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat was targeted with improvised explosive device (IED) in Nuwakot on Friday. One of the vehicles was severely damaged, with six occupants injured. This comes days after a vehicle carrying speaker Onsari Ghartimagar and CPN-MC candidate Barshaman Pun came under similar IED attack in Rolpa. Leftist alliance candidate from Gorkha-2, CPN-MC leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha also had a lucky escape when IEDs were hurled at his vehicle in Gorkha recently.

Tall claims of full-proof security arrangement by the Home Ministry responsible to manage security for the election have been proved wrong, with the sudden rise in a spate of IED attacks across the country. Only today, two IEDs were defused by the Nepali Army in Besisahar, Lamjung, hours before the ruling Nepali Congress was to hold a grand election campaigning event.

Given the atmosphere during the recent local level elections, the developments so far is quite concerning and the government needs to get its act together in making sure that the candidates are able to campaign without any obstruction, and that the voters heading to their respective polling centers do so without any fear to exercise their franchise on November 26 and December 7.

Kalika Khadka 
OKHALDHUNGA, Nov 18: The election manifestoes of the Nepali Congress and left alliance have featured the lofty commitments to make Okhaldhunga a beautiful and prosperous district.

NC candidate for the House of Representatives Ramhari Khatiwada, candidate for State Assembly (A) Mitrasen Dahal and candidate for State Assembly (B) Pradip Kumar Sunuwar have floated an idea to run at least a project in each ward to address the local needs within five years.

Likewise, the election manifesto of the NC has also stated to operate the initiative ‘One Rural Municipality/Municipality One Park’ and ‘One Village One Enterprise’ after carrying out feasibility study.

In the similar vein, candidate of left alliance for the House of Representatives Yagya Raj Sunuwar, candidate for State Assemblies (A) Amir babu Gurung and candidate for State Assemblies (B) Mohan Kumar Khadka have put forward the idea of establishing at least one industry hub in each local level.

The left alliance candidates also floated the idea of establishing a Nepali paper mill in Khijidamba rural municipality in a commercial manner and making arrangement of the exports of the product.

NC candidates have tailored their plan to set up at least a technical institute in rural municipality and municipality for quality technical education which would help enhance employment opportunities for youths. The candidates have also come up with a plan to make school education well-managed and qualitative with e-library under the campaign of one school one library.

On the other side, left candidates have come up with the plan to allocate 15 per cent of the total budget for quality and compulsory education in each rural municipality and municipality.

NC has envisioned the establishment of well-equipped hospital with 15 beds in each rural municipality and arrangement of ambulance in each ward. The left candidates have pledged to set up a hospital with 15 beds in each rural municipality and with 50 beds in the centre of each municipality.

Commenting on the ambitious election manifestoes of the parties, civil society leader Hitraj Karki said the commitment papers should not be just to woo the voters but should be feasible.

“The manifestoes of both the parties seem ambitious and time-taking to accomplish their dream projects but there is nothing impossible if the candidates make good plan and devise their efforts accordingly”, he added.

‘CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT AFTER ELECTION’

DHANUSHA, Nov 17: CPN-UML leader and a House of Representative candidate from Dhanusha constituency-4, Raghubir Mahaseth has claimed that the left alliance will garner majority across the country in the upcoming parliamentary and province assembly elections.

“Left alliance’s victory in the coming election is certain. We will lead the government after the polls,” said Mahato while speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal in Dhanusha on Friday.

He accused the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) of never working for the development of Terai-Madhes while claiming: “UML is the only party that can bring wave of development of Madhes.”

He added, “NC leaders have claimed themselves as the Messiah (savior) of Madhes and people here, which is not true. In fact, NC has been cheating Madhesi people.”

“Not only have the party, but their leaders as well deceived Madhes.”

Mahaseth argued that UML has not been able to develop the country as aspired by the people because UML has not stayed in the government for a longer period.

“People know how long we have stayed in the government. Whenever UML leads the government, the internal and external powers conspire against us to dismiss our government. When have they let us carry out developmental works?”

He further stated, “UML is a party who always fulfils its promises,” and urged all the voters to make the left alliance victorious in the elections.

He also said that the constitution would be amended after the elections. He added, “When the constitution will be amended, it will be for the welfare of Madhesi people, for the rights and privileges of Madhesi people.”

NUWAKOT, Nov 17: Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat’s vehicle was ambushed at Daandagaun Sigarechaur in Kakani rural municipality-7, Nuwakot on Friday morning.

He was travelling for his electioneering campaign when a landmine exploded damaging his vehicle Ba 16 Cha 665 and injuring four members of the electioneering team.

They have been identified as Upendra Mishra, Sabin Lama, Yash Kumar Tamang and Lila Gharti Magar. Those injured have been  taken to Kathmandu for further treatment.

Mahat is a candidate for the House of Representatives from constituency 1.

A team of Armed Police Force has been sent to the site for further investigation.

DADELDHURA, Nov 16: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, has claimed that he would be the PM for next tenure if he was elected in the coming election.

Addressing an election program in his home district on Thursday, leader Deuba said he would respect the popular votes as he had been serving the district for long.

He further committed to expediting the infrastructural development of the district.

PM Deuba also shared that an agreement was forged to forward Pancheshwar multipurpose project and construct a bridge over Mahakali River at Jogbudha during his visit to southern neighbor.

President Deuba committed to upgrading the sub regional hospital to a medical college. He reiterated NC’s role in national politics to bring changes in the country.
On another note, he blamed the left alliance of instilling fear among the people. RSS