• A large number of unlisted people queue up to register their names for voter identity cards

Pokhara, July 18

After the Election Commission urged people, whose names were not included in the voters’ list in the local level elections, to register their names along with their photographs for voter identity cards from July 16, a large number of people have started queuing up for the same in Kaski.

Padam Subedi of Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City, the head teacher at Gyan Jyoti Secondary School in Armala, expressed happiness after registering his name for the voter identity card at the regional Election Office, Kaski. Subedi has not participated in any election after the government introduced voter identity card with photograph.

“I was unable to register my name from my locality as I had been transferred elsewhere and I could not vote in the first and second CA election. I also could not participate in the local level polls on May 14 as my name was not in the voters’ list. I am happy now because I can utilise my right to vote,” said Subedi.

Hundreds of people, who were missing from the voters’ list, registered their names in Kaski today. Similarly, the physically challenged and elderly people also visited the office. Twelve officials have been deployed to update the voters’ list at the office, according to regional Election Officer Ganga Lal Subedi.

The Election Commission had told its subordinate units to update the voters’ list till July 30, keeping in view the provincial elections in the near future. A large number of youths who  were not in the voters’ list in the recent local level polls visited the office for registration.

“Similarly, youths who were either employed or studying abroad and those who obtained their citizenship certificates recently, thronged the Election Office for identity cards,” said officer Subedi.

Elderly and physically challenged people complained that they had to face difficulties climbing stairs to the first floor for name registration. It was very hard for people using wheelchairs to register their names upstairs.

Padam Subedi of Kaskikot carried his daughter Sandhya, (a victim of cerebral palsy) on his back to the registration desk though she arrived at the office on a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, Regional Election Officer Subedi said they had managed the registration desk on the ground floor as per the suggestion of the elderly and physically challenged persons, from Tuesday.