National
EC makes public election schedule
The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday released a 16-day schedule for local level elections scheduled for May 14.The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday released a 16-day schedule for local level elections scheduled for May 14.
Candidates can register nominations on April 29, and the same day the list will be published. On April 30, complaints can be registered against the candidates and the EC will examine the nominations.
On May 1, the EC will publish the list of approved candidates. The election body will give candidates time to withdraw their candidacy, but they have to do show on the same day. On May 2, the EC will publish the final list of candidates and provide them electoral symbols.
“Candidates and parties can carry out their publicity campaigns till May 12,” said Gopinath Mainali, secretary at the EC. According to Surya Sharma, spokesperson for the EC, the election schedule is “very tight” because of time constraint. The government on Monday had declared local level elections for May 14, giving only 83 days to the poll body to prepare for polls.
Meanwhile, the EC has called for early endorsement of election laws for holding local polls as well as the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC).
The Bill on Political Party is currently with the State Affairs Committee of Parliament. The parties are yet to reach consensus on threshold. While major parties for having three percent threshold, fringe parties are strongly opposing the provision of the threshold.
The LLRC report, according to the EC, is a must for preparing voter lists and designating election centres. Currently, the voter lists and election centres have been arranged for the existing structure of the village development committees and municipalities.
Poll body issues instruction
The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday asked the government to order schools to stop teaching-learning activities for a week from May 8 until the elections are held. In its 19-point instruction issued on Wednesday, the election body has asked the government to postpone teaching-learning, examinations and all other educational activities of schools as there will be polling booths at schools. A press release issued by the election body said it has also asked the government to provide details of the government employees in various government agencies, public enterprises, development committees, local bodies, universities operated under the government’s grant and community schools as the EC aims to mobilise them for the election purposes.