Kathmandu, November 3

The Election Commission today started dispatching ballot papers to 32 districts where the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections will be held on November 26.

EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal told THT that the poll panel had started transporting ballot papers for proportional representation and first-past-the-post elections.

“Ballot papers were dispatched to the districts for which printing of FPTP ballot papers has been completed,” said Dhakal.

He said the poll panel had completed printing FPTP ballot papers of 25 districts. There are 37 parliamentary and 74 provincial constituencies in the 32 districts, which go to polls in the first phase.

The poll panel has already printed PR ballot papers needed for both the first and the second phases of elections.

Earlier today, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav said with the commencement of transportation of ballot papers from Kathmandu to districts, the responsibilities of election management had shifted to regional election offices.

Addressing a training programme for youths in Kathmandu today, Yadav requested youths to help the EC in its voter education programme so as to minimise percentage of invalid votes in the upcoming provincial and parliamentary elections.

He lauded the role of youths in the awareness campaign and voter education programme for the three phases of local level elections.

He also urged the youths to caution political parties against violating the election code of conduct. “Only free, fair and impartial elections can strengthen democracy,” he added. He claimed that the poll panel would adopt zero tolerance against poll code violators.

He said filing of nomination papers by the candidates for the second phase of provincial and parliamentary polls was completed successfully in all 45 districts yesterday.

EC Commissioner Ishwori Prasad Paudel said the EC wanted overwhelming participation of voters in the upcoming elections, as the entire world would be watching Nepal’s elections. He said youths could play an important role in teaching voters right voting techniques.

The EC stated that it would launch voter education programme throughout the country from November 11.