Kathmandu, November 6

The Election Commission today said it had printed all seven million ballot papers needed for the first phase of  provincial and parliamentary first-past-the-post elections slated for November 26.

The first phase of elections will be held in 32 mountain and remote hilly districts.

EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said the poll panel had already started supplying FPTP ballot papers and other electoral materials to those 32 districts.

“We are preparing to start  printing FPTP ballot papers for the second phase of elections,” said Dhakal. The poll panel will have to print 27.8 million ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary FPTP polls.

Printing of FPTP ballot papers was delayed by a few days after the Supreme Court ordered to ensure separate FPTP ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary elections. Initially, the EC had decided to print single sheet ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary FPTP elections.

Dhakal said the poll panel would also print model FPTP ballot papers for the voter education programme.

The 32  districts, where the first phase of election is scheduled for November 26  are: Taplejung, Panchthar, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Bhojpur and Solukhumbu of Province 1; Nuwakot, Dhading, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha and Ramechhap of Province 3; Mustang, Myagdi, Baglung, Manang, Lamjung and Gorkha of Province 4; Rukum (east) and Rolpa of Province 5; Rukum (west), Jajarkot, Humla, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot and Dolpa of Province 6; and Darchula, Bajhang, Bajura and Baitadi of Province 7.

There are 3,228,879 eligible voters in the 32 districts.

The EC said it started printing FPTP ballot papers for the second phase of elections today. Election Commissioner Narendra Dahal told THT that the poll panel had already sent designs of FPTP ballot papers of six districts that go to polls on December 7 to Janak Education Materials Centre’s press for printing.