KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 12
Prime Minister Sushila Karki held discussions today with office-bearers of the Election Commission (EC) regarding the preparations for the upcoming election of members of the House of Representatives.
The meeting, held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, was attended by the Commission's Acting Chief Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, Commissioners Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, Sagun Shumsher Rana, and other senior officials.
During the discussion, EC officials briefed the Prime Minister that over 60 percent of the preparatory work has already been completed. Based on the progress so far, the Commission expressed confidence that the election could be conducted as scheduled on March 5.
Acting Chief Commissioner Bhandari informed that the registration of new political parties and the updating of voter lists, including the inclusion of new voters, were proceeding smoothly. "It is possible to hold the election on the stipulated date, and the Commission is fully capable of managing it," he said.
To cope with the growing demand for voter registration, the Commission has extended its working hours to operate in two shifts from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., increased human resources, and arranged for the immediate resolution of technical issues in its online system.
Meanwhile, Director General of the National Civil Registration Department, Namraj Ghimire, stated that the department is prepared to provide the biometric data collected for the distribution of national identity cards to the EC.
Starting Thursday, the Commission will begin including voters in the electoral roll based on details obtained from national identity cards. It has also confirmed that all technical preparations and system testing for this integration will be completed by tonight.
So far, 22 national and two international observer organizations have applied to monitor the upcoming election. Likewise, the draft of the election code of conduct has been circulated among political parties for feedback, and the EC is preparing to publish the final election schedule soon.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Karki inquired about the possibility of reducing the spending limit for candidates and introducing inter-district voting to facilitate voters residing outside their home constituencies.
