Polling centres being set up for tomorrow’s elections

Kathmandu, December 5

The polling centres will have everything in place by tomorrow evening to ensure that casting of votes begins on time on December 7.

Party representatives, Election Commission staff and security personnel met today in most polling centres of the capital and finalised the arrangements.

Assistant Sub-inspector Kishor Adhikari, deployed in Bijaya Smarak  High School in Dilli Bazaar, showed this correspondent areas earmarked for voters, parties’ polling agents, EC staff, returning officer’s table and the secret place where ballot boxes will be kept.

“Voters will get ballot paper for the first-past-the-post election for parliamentary polls first, followed by ballot paper for provincial FPTP election and finally they will be provided with single sheet ballot paper for provincial and parliamentary PR polls. “A voter should be able to cast all three votes within five to seven minutes,” he added.

The meeting also decided to deploy a polling agent representing each candidate. It also decided to give priority to senior citizens and disabled voters while casting their votes and using separate doors for voters’ entrance and exit.

“Polling agents of political parties and EC staff have been told to report at 5:30am on Thursday,” said  Nirmala Subedi, voting officer at Dilli Bazaar Kanaya Campus.

According to Chief Returning Officer of Kathmandu Ramesh Raj Pokharel, all logistics for polls, except ballot papers, have been sent to polling centres. “We are also preparing vote counting centres,” he added.

He said CCTV cameras had been installed in all counting centres. “Security agencies have requested us to arrange separate seats for EC staff and parties’ polling agents in counting centres,” he said.

Graphic:THT
Graphic:THT

Vital statistics

SECOND PHASE POLLS – DECEMBER 7

  • Districts covered: 45

  • Province 1: Ilam, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari

  • Province 2: Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat

  • Province 3: Sindhuli, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Kavrepalanchowk, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur

  • Province 4: Tanahun, Kaski, Syangja, Parbat and East of Bardaghat Susta (Nawalparasi)

  • Province 5: Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Pyuthan, Banke, Bardia and West of Bardaghat Susta (Nawalparasi)

  • Province 6: Salyan, Surkhet and Dailekh

  • Province 7: Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Achham and Doti

FIRST-PAST-THE-POST

  • Federal parliament seats: 128

  • Provincial seats: 256

  • Total candidates (federal parliament): 1,663; Women - 130

  • Total candidates (Provincial Assembly): 2,819; Women - 220

  • Eligible voters: 12,235,993

  • Polling booths: 15,344

  • Polling centres: 7,752

  • Highest no of voters: Morang (644,782)

  • Lowest no of voters: Tehrathum (66,667)