Ballot papers for proportional election go to print from Tuesday

Kathmandu - The Election Commission is to start printing the ballot paper for the proportional representation system under the election to the member of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies from Tuesday. The election is taking place on November 26 and December 7, 2017. 

EC spokesman Nawaraj Dhakal said the human resources required for the management of the printing of ballot papers has been already assigned by the Election Commission. The ballot papers are being printed at the Janak Education Materials Centre Ltd at Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, under tight security cordon. 

The upper half of the ballot paper will have the election symbols of the election to the members of House of Representatives while the lower half of the same ballot paper will have the election symbols of the election to the members of the State Assemblies. 

Although the number of voters for the twin elections has not been fixed, nearly 18 million ballot papers of light red colour for proportional election system would be printed, EC spokesman Dhakal said, adding that the number of voters would be ascertained in few days. 

The EC has already published the election schedule for the proportional election system according to which the political parties are required to submit the closed list of their candidates under the proportional election system on October 15. The Election Commission has assigned the election symbols to the political parties which have registered themselves at the Commission for the purpose of participating in the proportional system. 

The number of political parties contesting under the proportional system in the election to the member of State Assembly in Province 1 is 87, in Province 2 and 3 it is 86 each, in Province 4 and 6 it is 82 each, in Province 5 it is 84 while in Province 7 it is 83. 

The EC will manage seven different kinds of ballot papers in the election to the members of the State Assemblies in accordance with the participation of the political parties. The printing of the ballot papers under the proportional system will be concluded by October 25. 

The Election Commission plans to start printing the ballot papers under the first-past-the-post election to the members of the House of Representatives and the State Assemblies immediately after the printing of the ballot papers under the proportional system is over. 

According to spokesman Dhakal, the EC has also approved the sample of the ballot paper for the forthcoming elections which it believes would be voter-friendly and easier for the voters. He said this sample was prepared based on the experience from the local level election. 

It is stated that the EC has managed 600 tonnes paper for printing the ballot paper. 

Likewise, the Commission has expedited works related to training, orientation, deputation of employees and staff, and management of 64 various types of election materials required for the forthcoming elections. 

The EC is engaged in the final preparation for formulating the legislations and guidelines related to the elections. It is learnt that around 200 thousand employees excluding the security forces will have to be mobilized for conducting the twin elections. 

EC is also planning to hold an intensive discussion with the political parties to conduct the election to the members of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies in a free, fair and fear-free environment.
 
Two hundred and seventy-five members including 165 through the first-past-the-post and 110 through the proportional system would be elected to the House of Representatives while a total 330 members towards the first-past-the-post and 229 towards the proportional system would be elected to the State Assemblies.