KATHMANDU, Nov 8: The civil servants have warned of agitation if they are prevented from voting in the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies slated for coming November 26 and December 7.

At a news conference organized on Thursday in Singha Durbar, they said that depriving them of voting rights was not fair as the constitution has ensured voting rights to the citizens of above 18 years.

On the occasion, Chairman of authorized trade union of civil servants Punya Prasad Dhakal said that the civil servants should be given rights in the upcoming elections as they were given such rights in the erstwhile polls.

He also warned not to remain mute if they were barred for voting rights.

Likewise, Acting Chairman of Nepal Civil Servants Employee Union (Association) Jit Bahadur Madai said that the Election Commission (EC) would be pointed fingers to ensure their voting rights.

Similarly, Chairman of Nepal National Employees’ Organization Hari Rawal and Nepal Madhesi Civil Servants’ Organization Bhuwaneshwor Chaudhari also seconded Dhakal and Madai by urging to give voting rights to the government officials to be deployed in polls. RSS

KATHMANDU, Nov 6: The Supreme Court (SC) has concluded that an interim order was not needed on the demand for voting rights to the government officials deployed in the House of Representatives and State Assembly polls.

A division bench of Justices Dipak Raj Joshi and Dambar Bahadur Shahi said that Election Commission (EC) itself was there to consider over the issue by not going against the Constitution of Nepal and interim order was not required on voting rights to the government officials deployed in the polls.

Bharat Kumar Mainali of Office of the Attorney General had lodged a writ petition demanding voting rights from the polling stations where the officials are deployed under the proportional electoral system.

On Sunday, the SC had sought amicus curiae after the hearing on the writ petition. Senior Advocate Prakash Bahadur KC from the Nepal Bar Association and Senior Advocate Dr Chandra Kanta Gyawali from Supreme Court Bar Association pleaded representing the amicus curiae.

After the SC’s latest move, nearly 500,000 officials to be deployed in the polls will not be exercising their franchise in the upcoming November 26 and December 7 elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies. RSS