INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, APRIL 17Election fever has gripped the entire nation with the Election Commission and all the political
parties focused on the local level elections slated for May 13.
'All citizens should be vaccinated against COVID -19 by
Political parties focused on local elections
The political parties' latest meeting, discussions,
interaction and assemblies are centred on the election, while the EC has completed the management of materials required for the election as
well as the requisite trainings.
Election Commission Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said election-related activities
and programmes had been conducted at the local levels.Political parties are making final preparations to recommend candidates while the EC
gears up to mobilise the election materials and election officials.The EC has completed training of trainers on election operation and
management at eight places of the country.The training is for the chief election officer, election officer and the district election officer
Such trainings were held in Biratnagar, Dhulikhel, Pokhara and Nepalgunj on April 13 and in Janakpur, Hetauda, Butwal and Dhangadi on April
15.The Commission has already issued appointment letter to election officers
The appointment will be effective from April 12
Election officers have already set out for their respective election centres to carry out preparation works.They will formally set up the
election office in their assigned areas on April 21 The Election Commission said around 200,000 employees - at least nine employees at each
election officer's office - will be mobilised throughout the country for the purpose of local election.In the meantime, political parties
too have completed most of their election-related assemblies and training at the local level
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has emphasised maximum use of electronic and social media for voter education based on the conclusion
that the traditional process of voter education was costly and ineffective.Information related programmes on voter education have been
prepared in various mother languages of several linguistic communities and district election offices have been broadcasting these programmes
through local FM radio, newspapers and television stations.The Election Commission also plans to set up voter education information centres
at the voting centres two days before the election in order to make voter education effective and reduce the number of invalid votes.A
version of this article appears in the print on April 18, 2022, of The Himalayan Times
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com