KATHMANDU, APRIL 17
Election fever has gripped the entire nation with the Election Commission and all the political parties focused on the local level elections slated for May 13.
The political parties' latest meeting, discussions, interaction and assemblies are centred on the election, while the EC has completed the management of materials required for the election as well as the requisite trainings.
Election Commission Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said election-related activities and programmes had been conducted at the local levels.
Political parties are making final preparations to recommend candidates while the EC gears up to mobilise the election materials and election officials.
The EC has completed training of trainers on election operation and management at eight places of the country.
The training is for the chief election officer, election officer and the district election officer. Such trainings were held in Biratnagar, Dhulikhel, Pokhara and Nepalgunj on April 13 and in Janakpur, Hetauda, Butwal and Dhangadi on April 15.
The Commission has already issued appointment letter to election officers. The appointment will be effective from April 12. Election officers have already set out for their respective election centres to carry out preparation works.
They will formally set up the election office in their assigned areas on April 21 The Election Commission said around 200,000 employees - at least nine employees at each election officer's office - will be mobilised throughout the country for the purpose of local election.
In the meantime, political parties too have completed most of their election-related assemblies and training at the local level. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has emphasised maximum use of electronic and social media for voter education based on the conclusion that the traditional process of voter education was costly and ineffective.
Information related programmes on voter education have been prepared in various mother languages of several linguistic communities and district election offices have been broadcasting these programmes through local FM radio, newspapers and television stations.
The Election Commission also plans to set up voter education information centres at the voting centres two days before the election in order to make voter education effective and reduce the number of invalid votes.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times
