Kathmandu, October 26

The Election Commission today said it set up offices of chief returning officers and returning officers in 45  districts, where the second phase of provincial and the parliamentary elections are slated for December 7.

There are 128 parliamentary constituencies and 256 provincial constituencies in these districts. The poll panel said that offices of chief returning officers and returning officers started work from today.

Second  phase of elections will be held in Ilam, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Udayapur,  Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari districts of Province-1;   Saptari, Siraha,  Dhanusa,Mahottari, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts of  Province-2; and Sindhuli, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Kavrepalanchowk,  Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of Province-3.

Likewise,  the second phase of provincial and the parliamentary elections will be  held in Tanahun, Kaski, Syangja, Parbat, and (east of Bardaghat Susta)  Nawalparasi districts of Province-4; Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi,  Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang Pyuthan, Banke, Bardia, (west of  Bardaghat Susta) Nawalparasi districts of Province-5; Salyan, Surkhet,  and Dailekh of province-6 and Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Achham  and Doti districts of Province-7.

The EC said that there are 12,198,852 eligible voters in these 45 districts.

As per the election schedule, candidates have to file their nomination papers of the first-past-the-post provincial and the parliamentary elections on November 2.

Reports have also com in that the Chief Returning Officer’s Office for the upcoming provincial assembly and the House of Representatives elections was established on the premises of the District Coordination Committee’s Office in Jhapa, today.

With the new office set up, election-related activities have formally started in the district.

Inaugurating the office, Chief Returning Officer of Jhapa Khila Nath Regmi said he was optimistic that the election in Jhapa scheduled for December 7 would be concluded peacefully. He urged all security agencies, political parties and their candidates, and mediapersons, among other stakeholders, to hold the election in a fair and fearless manner.

Also, returning officers of Jhapa Constituency Nos 1, 2, 4 and 5 Shiva Prasad Parajuli, Indira Sharma, Prem Khadka and Sakuntala Karki respectively expressed their commitment to hold the upcoming election in a peaceful manner. CRO Regmi will also act as election officer for Constituency No 3 of the district. Chief of District Election Office, Jhapa, Gopal Acharya has already briefed stakeholders about the basic election code of conduct.

Assistant Chief District Officer of Jhapa Bhoj Raj Shrestha said all stakeholders had a shared responsibility to conduct the election successfully.

Meanwhile, Chief Returning Officer’s offices were set up in constituencies 1  and 2 of Tanahun today.  District Judge Arjun Koirala inaugurated the offices.

Chief District Officer Ritesh Kumar Shakya said election related work plan had started with the inauguration of theoffices.