Kathmandu, September 17

The Election Commission today urged all eligible voters of eight districts of Province 2 to cast their votes tomorrow in the third phase of local level elections.

The first and second phases of local level elections were held on May 14 in 283 local levels of provinces 3, 4 and 6 and on June 28 in 334 local levels of provinces 1, 5 and 7, respectively.

Addressing a press meet organised at the EC here today, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav appealed to all eligible voters of Province 2 not to miss the opportunity to choose their local representatives.

“I  request all eligible voters of Province 2 to sacrifice  one day for  the nation and cast their votes,”  Yadav said. Stating  that security agencies have taken  all necessary measures to provide security in elections, he asked voters to cast votes fearlessly.

He said the poll panel had also directed security agencies to remain vigilant  to prevent infiltration from across the border.

Yadav added that the EC had completed all necessary preparations for  the third phase of elections. He said eligible voters would not be barred from voting even if their voter IDs were lost or destroyed or had print mistakes. “Those who could not receive voter IDs due to any reason can receive them on the election day as well,” said CEC Yadav.  He said the voters could also use their citizenship certificates, land ownership papers, driving licences, passports or old voter IDs provided in the second Constitution Assembly election, to cast their votes.

Yadav, however,  warned that if anybody was found casting bogus votes, s/he would be punished as per the laws.

EC staff, meanwhile, distributed voter identity cards from all polling centres today as well.

The EC said it had directed polling officers to arrange special facilities for differently-abled voters and new mothers.  The EC stated that voting would start at 7:00am and end at 5:00pm. It added that those entering  polling centres  between 7:00am and 5:00pm would be allowed to cast their votes.

The poll panel stated that 2,664,950 eligible voters would elect 6,627 local representatives from the third phase of elections.

Of the 6,627 posts for which polls are being held, voters will elect  chairpersons and deputy -chairpersons of rural municipalities, mayors and deputy mayors of municipalities, sub-metropolitan cities and a metropolitan city, ward chiefs, ward members, female members and a female member from the Dalit community.

As per the constitution, voters will elect representatives for seven posts in each local level  including chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels, ward chairpersons and four ward members (two female members) including a female member from the Dalit community. It is mandatory to have a Dalit woman candidate at the ward level.

The 136 local levels in Province 2 include a metropolitan city, three sub-metropolitan cities, 73 municipalities and 59 rural municipalities. Similarly, 2,166 polling stations and 3,578 polling centres have been set up for elections, according to the EC.

The EC added that 37,236 candidates were in fray in the third phase of elections.

Votes will be cast secretly under the first-past-the-post electoral system on the basis of one post, one vote pattern.

Apart from security personnel, the EC has deployed over 31,500 employees for elections.

The EC stated that it had deployed over 2,100 poll observers from 44 national organisations across the 136 local levels to monitor polls.

Meanwhile, the poll panel stated that it had arranged facilities for representatives of diplomatic communities to monitor voting in four major cities — Janakpur, Bardibas, Birgunj and Simara.

Vital stats

•  2,664,950 eligible voters
•  37,236 candidates in fray
•  6,627 positions up for grabs in 136 local levels of eight districts
•  2,166 polling locations
•  3,578 polling centres
•  Over 31,500 employees deployed for elections
•  Over 2,100 poll observers from 44 national organisations to be mobilised