EDITORIAL: Correct it

Adequate counting units should be added to finish counting even in the metropolitan cities within a week at the latest

The counting of votes began Monday in 251 of the 281 local level bodies, the election for which were held on May 14. The counting of votes is taking an unusually long time. The Election Commission (EC) must have anticipated the delay in the counting of the votes because it is proving to be  cumbersome and proceeding literally at a snail’s pace because of, among other things, the large size of the ballot papers which the voters were not familiar with, several elective posts, and many candidates. The counting has also been affected by frequent disputes among the political parties as to which votes are valid and also because of the multiple symbols that have been used and slowing the vote counting in the process. As a result, protests are taking place in several places due to the inordinate delay in the counting of the votes. If the counting continues at the current pace it would take weeks or even months in a number of local levels to finish counting all the votes cast. There is dire need, therefore, for the returning officers to take appropriate measures so as to complete counting the votes as soon as possible.

The EC is now in a dilemma over the delay, and has decided to take remedial measures. In particular, these include increasing the number of counting places and perhaps also taking recourse to technology, for each level where inordinate delay is taking place, in order to speed up counting. It says that it had instructed the returning officers of all 281 local units to speed up the process of vote counting. For this they should be provided with the needed human resources and seek the cooperation of the representatives of political parties to expedite the counting process. It is reported that the counting of one vote is often taking nearly 10 minutes, which is unreasonably long. Taking this into account, the EC should have heeded the advice of the concerned experts to count the votes on the spot as soon as the voting was over, but this suggestion was not heeded and implemented by the EC. It had to struggle in many places to collect the ballot boxes until Tuesday morning. Despite the use of helicopters and vehicles to collect ballot boxes from remote regions and also the mobilization of its staff it took a long to collect the boxes.

In some of the places where the numbers of voters were not large, the results are already out, or in the process of being out. But in more populated local levels, results are trickling in. It is therefore natural for the public to be annoyed and impatient with those concerned over the excruciatingly tardy process of vote counting. Adequate counting units should be added without any delay in order to finish counting even in the metropolitan cities within a week at the latest. The EC must have foreseen the delay in the counting of votes and should have arranged for adequate manpower as well as logistics at the counting centres. It does not behove its officials now to moan about the shortages of one thing or other, such as carpets to place on the floor for counting. The public have the right to know about the results of the elections soon enough.

Eat healthy food

People are suffering from various kinds of health problems due to changed climatic condition leading to rising temperature, especially in urban areas and Tarai region. Food quickly becomes gangrened and stale within a day if not preserved at low temperature. Consumption of unhygienic food may lead to food poisoning, typhoid, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and low blood pressure. In extreme cases, people, especially children and elderly people, may also die if they do not get immediate medical attention.

Considering the summer and fast approaching rainy seasons, doctors have advised the people not to consume contaminated water and junk food and drink a plenty of boiled water to be free from food poisoning and waterborne diseases. It is estimated that about 15 percent people in the Tarai suffer from food poisoning and waterborne diseases mostly during summer and rainy seasons. Doctors have advised the people to consume plenty of fluids, boiled water, fresh vegetables and fruit, lime water and milk products during the summer season when more fluid is discharged as sweat. One also needs to avoid factory-made food, including soft drink, to be free from common health related diseases that can be easily controlled if one takes care of his/her personal hygiene and sanitation.