Kathmandu, June 27

More than 6.4 million eligible voters of 35 districts of Provinces 1, 5 and 7 will cast their votes tomorrow in the second phase of local level polls to elect more than 15,000 local representatives.

The first phase of local level elections was held on May 14 in 283 local levels of Provinces 3, 4 and 6.

Addressing a press meet organised at the Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav urged all eligible voters not to miss the opportunity to choose their local representatives after about two decades.

“I request all eligible voters of Provinces 1, 5 and 7 to contribute one day to the nation and cast their votes,” appealed CEC Yadav. He urged all to postpone cultivation of crops for a day and take part in polls.

Yadav said the EC had completed all necessary preparations for the second phase of elections.

The EC said voting would start at 7:00am and end at 5:00pm, and all those who entered polling centres before 5:00pm could cast their votes. The EC stated that 6,432,765 eligible voters would elect 15,038 local representatives tomorrow.

The posts up for grabs include chairpersons and deputy-chairpersons of rural municipalities, mayors and deputy-mayors of municipalities, sub-metropolitan cities and metropolitan city, ward chiefs, ward members, female members and female members from the Dalit community.

According to the constitution, voters will elect representatives for seven posts in each local level, including chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels, ward chairperson, four ward members (two female members) including a female member from the Dalit community. It is mandatory to have a Dalit woman candidate at the ward level.

Out of 334 local levels in Provinces 1, 5 and 7, there is one metropolitan city, seven sub-metropolitan cities, 111 municipalities and 215 rural municipalities.

The EC said 62,408 candidates were vying in the second phase of elections. Votes will be cast secretly under the first-past-the-post electoral system on the basis of one post, one vote pattern.

The EC said a total 8,364 polling centres and 4,581 polling locations had been set up in 334 local levels.

Apart from security personnel, the EC has deployed 66,900 employees for tomorrow’s elections.

The EC employees distributed voter identity cards from all polling centres today as well. “Those who could not receive voter ID for some reason can receive them on the election day as well,” said CEC Yadav. He said eligible voters would not be barred from exercising their voting rights, if the voter IDs were lost or destroyed or had printing mistake. Such voters can use their citizenship certificate, land ownership papers, driving licence, passport or old voter ID provided in the second Constituent Assembly election.  The EC warned of legal action against anyone found casting vote in someone else’s name.

The EC has directed polling officers to arrange special facilities for disabled and new mothers.

The EC said it had deployed 6,733 observers in the 334 local levels for monitoring the polls.

The polls panel has also arranged visits of the representatives of diplomatic communities to monitor voting in six major cities — Dhankuta, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Palpa, Dhangadi and Dadeldhura.

Statistically speaking

• 6,432,765 eligible voters
• 62,408 candidates in fray
• 15,038 positions up for grabs in 334 local levels of 35 districts
• 41 candidates elected unopposed
• 8,364 polling centres
• 4,581 polling locations
• 66,900 employees deployed for elections