KATHMANDU: Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav on Friday has urged the media to take up the responsibility of a watchdog to make the upcoming local level elections free and fair.

CEC Yadav was speaking at a workshop titled 'Dissemination of Balanced News in the Forthcoming Local Level Election and Importance of News', organised in the Capital by Tribhuvan University Central Department of Journalism and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

"So far, the Election Commission has not come across a situation of annoyance arising out of the material carried by the media in breach of the election code of conduct. The country has been overwhelmed with the election fervour and the media has played a laudable role in this," CEC Yadav said.

Saying the media should disseminate balanced and objective news based on truth and fact as the date for candidacy filing was drawing closer, he informed that Commission has moved ahead far in terms of the election preparation and management.

He dubbed the local level election "historic" from the viewpoint of gender equality at the local level as per the constitution.