By-election preparation: office of chief returning officer set up

 Kathmandu– The offices of the chief returning officers have been set up in four districts for the upcoming by-election being scheduled for November 30.The by-election is being held for the vacant posts of a member of the House of Representatives, State Assembly, and some local levels.

The office of the chief returning officers was established in Kaski, Bhaktapur, Baglung and Dang districts, the Election Commission said, adding that the local levels would however have the offices coming Wednesday. There are vacant posts of various members at the local levels of 33 districts.

For the by-election, a total of 37 districts will have 48 offices of chief returning officers and election officers. The by-poll is being conducted for a member of the House of Representatives, a mayor of sub-metropolis, three rural municipalities' chairpersons, one rural municipality's vice-chairperson and 43 wards chairpersons.

Filing of candidacy for the House of Representatives and State Assembly member is scheduled for November 7. Similarly, nomination for the by-election of local level members is slated on November 13. The Election Commission has allocated 16 days for the election publicity of the member of House of Representatives and of State Assembly, while those fighting at local levels get 10 days. There will be 537 voting centres for the election.

The number of voters is 454,114. Ninety-five political parties out of 101 eligible to take part in the by-election will be competing in the elections for the House of Representatives and State Assembly member. Only seventy-eight parties will have the right to take in the by-election at local -level. The EC has approved similar types of ballot papers for the House of Representatives and State Assembly member's elections.

There are two samples of ballot papers. Fifty-six types of election materials are required for conducting the elections and of them, forty-two types of materials will be supplied by the EC to the respective constituencies and the remaining 14 sorts of stuffs will be managed by the respective District Election Offices. Arrangements have been made by the EC for the production and distribution of materials such as posters, sample ballot papers, pamphlets and handbooks necessary for the operation of voters' education programmes.

There will be two people in every ward witnessing the by-election to conduct the voters' education classes. It means 314 voters' education facilitators will be mobilised from November 21 for a week. They will inform voters about right process of voting upon reaching their doorsteps. Ceiling for HoR election publicity expenditure is set at 2.5 million As per the ceiling set for the HoR election publicity expenditure, candidates can spend up to Rs 2.5 million per head while the candidates for the State Assembly election can spend up to Rs 1.5 million each.

This figure shall not be exceeded Rs 550 thousand in regard to a candidate for the mayor of a sub metropolis. Similarly, a candidate for the ward chair of a sub metropolis is allowed to spend maximum Rs 250 thousand, a candidate for the municipality's ward chair can spend up to Rs 200 thousand, and it is set at Rs 350 thousand for a candidate of the chair and vice chair of a rural municipality and it is Rs 150 thousand for a rural municipality ward chair.

The code of conduct in regard to the by-election has come into effect since October 25. However, it will be enforced for political parties, candidates, employees and government on different dates. Only national observers to observe the by-election The EC has said that only National Election Observation Committee will be allowed to observe the by-election. The Ministry of Finance has already agreed to release Rs 250 million to the EC.

The EC had however demanded Rs 400 million for the by-election. The officials to be deployed during the by-election have been ensured already. The number of security officials have been determined according to which each Election Officer Office will get five security personnel.

The political parties have already expressed their commitments to abide by the code of conduct to ensure the by-election free, fair and impartial as well as to make the stakeholders of election adhere to the code of conduct. The EC has been expediting its homework to conduct by-election on time and in a free and fair atmosphere.