Electoral materials’ supply to provinces 1, 2, 5, 7 halted

Kathmandu, April 25

The Election Commission today said that it has halted supply of electoral materials to 41 districts of provinces 1, 2,5 and 7, where the government has decided to hold local level elections on June 14.

The election body said it would later supply electoral materials — ballot papers, ballot boxes, indelible ink, voters’ identity cards, voters’ roll and other materials later.

The commission however, said that supply of electoral materials will be continued to the 34 districts where local level elections will be held on May 14.

The election body said that electoral materials, which were already supplied to the 41 districts of province 1, 2, 5 and 7, would be kept in the offices of chief returning officers under the Nepali Army’s security cover.

The EC has also decided to withhold appointment of employees for those provinces for now and directed the concerned agencies not to open the offices of returning officers.

“Voters’ education campaign will continue even in provinces where the polls are scheduled for June 14,” said EC’s Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma. He said that office of the returning officers opened today in 269 rural-municipalities and municipalities of 34 districts, where polls will be held on May 14.

Meanwhile, the Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Party-Nepal and Upendra Yadav-led Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal today sought permission from the EC to contest local level polls with the same election symbol.