Kathmandu, October 30

The Janak Education Material Centre, which started printing separate ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary first-past-the-post polls yesterday, is likely to finish printing one week before the first phase of polls slated for November 26.

Sources said JEMC would run all its seven machines to print about 35 million ballot papers -- about 17.4 million for parliamentary FPTP elections and about 17.4 million for provincial FPTP elections.

JEMC sources added that they had already started printing ballot papers for Baitadi, Bajhang, Darchula, Bajura and Jajarkot districts.

They said they could print 1.5 million ballot papers a day by running all seven printing machines.

EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal, however, said the EC had told JEMC to finish printing ballot papers 10 days before both phases of elections. The EC has kept 10 days for transporting ballot papers across the country.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has told JEMC to burn 36,000 single sheet ballot papers for the two elections that it had printed on Friday and Saturday before it received the Supreme Court order to print separate ballot papers for provincial and parliamentary FPTP polls.

JEMC sources said they had received ballot paper design for Mugu, Darchula and Kalikot districts a few days ago but printed only ballot papers meant for Mugu district.

They said the cost of printing one ballot paper came to seven rupees.

They added that JEMC would be able to finish printing ballot papers almost a week before the first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections scheduled for November 26.

The second phase of polls is scheduled for December 7.