Shambhu Thapaliaya, a teacher at a school in Tilganga, Kathmandu, who also volunteers to educate people about voting, sees huge excitement among the people to participate in the local level elections being held on May 14 after a gap of two decades.

He spends four hours a day, usually in the morning and evening, to go door to door, gathering people to teach them how to cast vote.

“We sense excitement among the people to participate in the elections as the local polls are being held after so long,” said Thapaliya. “Their excitement is evident in their enthusiastic participation in our voter education campaign.” Around 150-200 people gather to learn about voting at a venue, according to him.

Local elections were last held in 1997. In the absence of the people’s representatives, lack of accountability and corruption are believed to have taken root at the local level.

Thapaliya leads a team of two male and five female volunteers to educate people of Ward No 8 in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, covering Gaushala, Sinamangal, Jayabageshwori and Sifal areas. They seek the help of local political leaders, mothers’ groups and youth clubs to organise the meetings.

“Local political leaders in particular, who seem to be excited about the elections, are helping us in all possible ways,” said Thapaliya. The election is expected to engage a large number of party cadres at the local level.

The volunteers are equipped with pamphlets and booklets. “With the support of the parties and other stakeholders, it has been easier for us to educate people about voting,” said Dharma Devkota, another volunteer.

The Election Commission on Sunday opened the offices of the chief election officer in all the districts. At the Kathmandu office set up in City Hall, Bhrikutimandap, 11 staffers are busy making preparations for the polls.

Chief Election Officer Purushottam Dhakal said his offices were in the process of selecting staffers to be mobilised for the elections in one metropolis and 10 municipalities of Kathmandu. “We will require over 4,000 people to be mobilised as polling officers, deputy polling officers and assistants,” he said.