EC asks govt to declare public holiday on May 13, seeks permission to use physical infrastructures of local levels

By Muna Chand

Kathmandu, April 29

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to write to all local levels through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration seeking approval to use physical infrastructures and their premises from May 11 to 13 for the voting purpose during the time of the local level elections. The physical infrastructures include public schools, ward offices, health posts, and others.

At a news conference on Thursday, the EC said it had decided to write to the federal government through the Chief Secretary to make necessary arrangements to teach students in alternative ways as the schools with voting centers and polling stations there should be used for three days from May 11 to 13 for running voting and election-related managerial tasks.

In a press statement issued by EC’s Assistant Spokesperson and Under-Secretary Surya Prasad Aryal, it is stated that the Chief Secretary would write a letter seeking a nationwide public holiday on May 13 on the day of the local level election.

Likewise, the EC said a total of 153,002 candidates had filed their nominations in different posts in the local level elections as per the data entry made till 3:30 PM Thursday.

It is said that 3,510 nominations were received for mayor, 3,387 for chairperson, 2,168 for deputy mayor, and 2,401 for vice-chair.

Likewise, 35,353 nominations were filed for the post of ward chair.

Till Thursday, the EC said more than 17.77 million ballot papers for 72 districts have been printed and 5.18 million ballot papers for 33 districts have been dispatched to their respective districts.