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The Election Commission (EC) has urged the government to make necessary arrangements for the use of electronic voting machine in the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) and Province Assembly (PA) elections.

According to the EC, it today wrote to the Council of Ministers, the Nepal Government through the Home Minister, seeking its role to make arrangements for electronic voting. The urge follows the report of a committee formed to study the possibility of the use of voting machine and its management in the election. It is also in line with the provisions in the relevant laws to make the election procedures smart, secured and impartial.

The EC in a press statement today said it seems the management of an electronic voting machine manufactured within home was not possible for the upcoming polls citing various reasons, and sought the government’s facilitating role to manage the import of machines by upcoming mid-July.The study committee coordinated by joint-secretary at the Minister of Communications and Information Technology recommended the formation of a technical committee consisting of University teachers, civil service employees and independent experts for the specification, quality check and reliability of the machines and to respond to possible public queries in its regard. It has also advised to learn experiences from the countries already implementing the electronic voting successfully, and ensure the use of a standard machine in the electoral procedures.

As per the legal provisions, the electronic voting can be implemented in the elections of the President, Vice President, members in the Federal Parliament and Province Assembly and local level elections.

The EC had successfully practiced electronic voting in six constituencies during the 2008 Constituent Assembly election and in five constituencies in Bardiya, Baglung, Kathmandu, and Kailali during the 2013 CA by-elections.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari said the report of the Office of Auditor General indicated the increasing size of arrears, suggesting the need for a campaign to downsize it.

The head-of-the-state in her address to the 64th anniversary of the OAG here today underlined the need of fiscal discipline to prevent arrears.

"Economic fairness will help establish good governance," the president said, seeking the attention of all bodies concerned towards that end. The president insisted on transparency in public finance behaviours, acknowledging the role of OAG report in making public finance management effective.

As the president said, authorities ranging from the federal to local government should take the issues raised in the OAG report seriously.

Also speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Janardan Sharma said the government was effortful to clear arrears and to enhance fiscal management.

The ministry was at work to settle arrears worth Rs 676 billion that remained so far, he added. "The issues of arrears clearance has been accorded priority in policies and programmes and budget for the upcoming fiscal year and the OAG will be provided necessary physical and financial assistance for the same."

She drew the attention of the government to the need to control unnecessary expenditures on foreign trips and to be frugal at a time when the country is reeling under economic difficulties.

Similarly, Auditor General Tanka Mani Sharma (Dangal) shared that reports prepared through electronic auditing would be released from this year. Stating that the OAG could not observe office anniversary due to COVID-19 risks, he shared that a total of seven staffers were awarded this year for best performance.

"Separate audit report of COVID-19 would be made public soon. The OAG had adopted risk-based auditing system from this year," he said. It was shared that no encouraging work could be accomplished to clear arrears this year. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reshuffled the Chief District Officers of Rupandehi and Makwanpur districts.

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand transferred the CDOs of Rupandehi and Makwanpur districts on Wednesday.

Chief District Officer of Makwanpur Bharatmani Pandey has been transferred to Rupandehi.

Similarly, Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Rajendra Dev Pandey has been appointed as the Chief District Officer of Makwanpur.

The Ministry has appointed Rishiram Tiwari, Chief District Officer of Rupandehi district, as the Director General of the Immigration Department.

CPN-Unity National Campaign Coordinator Bamdev Gautam has proposed an alliance of communist forces in the upcoming Parliamentary and Province Assembly elections.

During a meeting held with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli in Balkot on Thursday, Gautam floated a proposal to contest the upcoming elections by forging an alliance of leftist parties.

"The defeat of communists is certain if they contest the elections on their own. That is why, let's contest the Parliamentary and Province Assembly elections by forging alliance, " he said.

Gautam told Oli that CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Nepal have also expressed their readiness to contest the elections by forging an alliance of leftist parties.

The CPN-Unity National Campaign Coordinator further said that he would be involved in the campaign to unite the Nepal Communist Party.

According to a source, Oli is positive towards the proposal. But, he said that Dahal and Nepal should change themselves first.