EC wants full compliance with silence period

The Election Commission has said the violation of the silence period that has been enforced since Thursday midnight in view of the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly is punishable by laws. The EC has directed the entire returning and monitoring officers to promptly respond to any cases of the violation of Silence Period in accordance with the Election (Offense and Punishment) Act, 2073 BS, and inform it to the EC. The Clause 24 (5) of the Act bans any election publicity campaigns before 48 hours of the voting day, and the EC and returning and monitoring officers have the authority to fine up to Rs 25,000 in case of the breaching of the Provision, according to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel. The EC has written to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Nepal Press Council, reminding them of the Provision to be followed 48 hours before the voting day until the completion of voting procedures. The Ministry and Council has been asked not to disseminate or broadcast any contents relating to the activities of political parties or the candidates or the election publicity campaign. The EC has urged all people not to and cause not to carry out any activities related to election publicity i.e. gatherings, interactions, assemblies, workshops and seminars until vote count is complete. Similarly, they have been asked not to and cause not to upload, comment, tag, like and counter-comment on anything election related on social sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Any political campaigns and publicity through social sites, and news websites have also been prohibited. Such activities and things should be removed if done, it directed. The Advertisement Board has been asked to do monitoring. Wearing the clothing, logos, badges, T-shirts, jackets, shawls, caps, vests, facemasks, bags and stickers that would symbolically identify candidates and any political parties around polling centers have been banned. Security personnel deployed for the polls have been directed to take action against such activities, it has been said.  

Election materials, security personnel arrive in all voting stations

Election materials and security personnel have reached all the voting stations in Khotang district for the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and Provincial Assembly scheduled for November 20. The Office of the Chief Returning Officer, Diktel, said that it dispatched ballot papers, ballot boxes, officials and security personnel in all voting stations in the district. Chief Returning Officer Shubhash Babu Giri said a total of 1,558 officials and 1,800 security personnel have been deployed for the election purpose. The officials and security personnel have taken altogether 62 kinds of election materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes, voters’ name list, rubber mats, stamps and others. In Khotang, there are 136 voting stations, 194 voting centers and two temporary voting centers. District Election Officer Rajesh Gautam said four ballot boxes have been sent to each voting center. The officials deployed in the voting stations would begin preparations for voting centers and booths. The District Election Office said that a total of 142,792 voters are eligible to cast votes in Khotang district. The district with a HoR seat and two Provincial Assembly seats witnessed massive election campaigns in the past two weeks where the ruling alliance and CPN-UML candidates are the key contenders. CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Ram Kumar Pasang is contesting for the HoR seat from the left-democratic alliance while UML’s Bishal Kumar Bhattarai is into the fray. Other political parties’ and independent candidates are also vying for the HoR and Provincial Assembly seats in Khotang.

Silence period for November 20 elections comes into effect

The silence period of the election to the Member of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Province Assembly has come into effect from Thursday midnight. The election is taking place throughout the country in a single phase on November 20. According to the Election Code of Conduct, 2022, the silence period comes into effect from 48 hours before the voting day until the polls are closed. The voting under the election to the HoR and Province Assembly is taking place from 7 am to 5 pm on November 20. The Code of Conduct stipulates the conduct that the political party office-bearers, candidates, the sister organisations of the parties or related individuals have to abide by during the silence period. Election campaigning as well as any type of discussion, interaction, assemblies, workshop seminar and gatherings are not allowed during this period. Likewise, the Code of Conduct states that the election publicity materials of the political parties or candidates kept 300 metres around the polling station should be removed 48 hours before the voting day. Similarly, canvassing by any method, process or means, and posting or sharing any message, information or publicity material in support or against any political party or candidate on social sites, online, print or any medium is prohibited during the silence period.

EC plans to make public FPTP results within three days

The Election Commission has planned to make public the result of first-past-the-post (FPTP) election to the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly within three days. At a news conference organized on Thursday to share information about the election preparations, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, said, "Vote count begins immediately after all ballot boxes are collected. EC is planning to complete the vote count of FPTP election within three days while of proportional in eight days.” He further informed that EC was for submitting the report of election results to the President within December 8. "EC is determined on it once it receives cooperation and commitment from all sides," Thapaliya argued. Every polling centre will have three layers of security. Effective security arrangement is in place that Nepal Army persons reach the incident site within 30 minutes in case of any untoward situation. He ruled out the possibility of booth capture and said none can use his/her representative to cast vote. The voting centres would be set up in the country within two days. There are over 17.9 million voters enlisted for this election in Nepal. Anyone completing 18 years by November 19 will be eligible voter. The EC has managed 10,892 polling stations and 22,227 voting centres across the country. Similarly, there are 141 temporary polling centres where some 450 thousand voters can cast votes.