Kathmandu, May 2

The Election Commission today said nominations for the first phase of local level polls were filed in a peaceful manner.

The EC said all major political parties — the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Centre and Rastriya Prajatantra Party — and independent candidates filed their nominations for the first phase of polls slated for May 14.

Candidates had turned up at the offices of chief returning officers and returning officers with their party supporters and leaders. “Parties fielded their nominees for the first phase of elections enthusiastically,” EC Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma told The Himalayan Times.

According to him, the process of filing nominations was completed peacefully in all 283 local levels of 34 districts of Provinces 3, 4, and 6.

After observing the process of filing nominations in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, other EC commissioners and EC officials visited parts of Kathmandu Valley to observe the nomination-filing process. Sharma claimed that the prevailing confusion, ambiguity and rumours over the fate of local level polls had vanished following the successful filing of nominees in all the designated local levels.

The EC, which had asked parties and independent candidates to file nominations from 10:00am to 5:00pm today in offices of chief returning officers and returning officers, later extended nomination filing time in some districts including Kathmandu.

“Those who entered the offices of chief returning officers and returning officers before the deadline could file their nominations,” Sharma said. The EC was supposed to accept nominations till 5:00pm today.

The poll panel said nominations had been filed for mayoral and deputy mayoral posts for four metropolis, one sub metropolis and 92 municipalities. Likewise, nominations of chairman and deputy chairman of 186 rural municipalities were also registered.

Nominations were filed for 123 ward chiefs of four metropolitan cities, 19 ward chiefs of sub-metropolitan cities and 1,091 ward-chiefs of municipalities.

Nominations for the posts of 1,365 ward chiefs were filed for the rural municipalities.

The EC said nominations were filed for 10,392 ward members, four in each for 2,598 wards of metropolis, sub-metropolis, municipalities and rural municipalities.

Candidacies were also filed for additional 5,196 posts of women and Dalit women members at 2,598 wards in the three provinces where the polls are all set to be held on May 14.

According to the election body, there are as many as 49,56,925 eligible voters in 283 local levels of 34 districts in Provinces 3, 4 and 6.

As per the constitution, parties had to field at least 50 per cent women candidates in mayoral or deputy mayoral post in all metropolis, sub-metropolis and municipalities. Likewise, at least 50 per cent women candidates should be fielded for the post of chairperson or deputy chairperson in all rural municipalities. At least 40 per cent women representation has been ensured in each ward of all local levels.

The EC has given 50 per cent discount in nomination charge for women and Dalit women and women from marginalised communities.