‘Poll silence’ on as publicity off

• The law bans campaigning 48 hours before the polls

KATHMANDU, NOV 17 -

The 122 political parties contesting the November 19 polls have completed their final campaigns with the Election Commission announcing the “day of election silence” beginning Saturday midnight.

As the parties in the fray, in their largest number ever in Nepal’s election history, make their final poll pitch on Saturday, the country witnessed a spectacle of heavy political rallies concentrating in the major cities and towns, with an obvious rise in the number of clashes amongst themselves.  

In their final election rallies, top leaders of the major political parties claimed that their victory is certain. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who had a hectic day travelling three Eastern districts in a helicopter, said his party would win this time by a two-thirds majority.

Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala rushed to Surkhet for his final campaign where he claimed that he witnessed a “wave of support” for his party. While UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal was in Ilam to address a mass rally, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal went to Kirtipur to throw his weight behind his party candidate Surendra Manandhar who faces Dahal in Kathmandu-10.  

Later in the day, the Election Commission ( EC ) announced that the “day of election silence” would start at midnight. The silent day of election is meant to allow the voters a peace of mind to decide on their votes, the EC said.  “Once the silent hour comes into effect, the political parties, candidates and their representatives are strictly banned from campaigning,” said EC Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav. The election code prohibits taking out election rallies, sloganeering, exhibition of party flags, election symbols and other materials 48 hours before the voting starts. The code also states that even the mass media should not publish and broadcast information or news that would promote any political party or candidate during that period.

EC completes preparation

The EC has announced that it has completed transporting 68 kinds of election logistics and polling staff in all polling centres across the country.

The EC also completed supplying the logistics in the remaining Himalayan districts, where the cold weather and snowfall were posing a serious challenge. Only on Saturday, the EC supplied election logistics to 15 polling centres in Upper Dolpa by helicopters. Earlier in the morning, the election body airlifted 33 polling officers to Limi, including security

personnel who had been held up in Yari of Humla for the last three days due to heavy snowfall.

“Almost all polling centres have received election logistics now and security personnel are already there,” Joint-secretary at theEC Maheshwor Neupane told the Post.

Election-related materials including voter identity cards of 12,147,865 voters, electoral rolls with colour photos, 30 million ballots of light blue colour for first-past-the-post election system and light red colour for proportional representation (PR) system, and the required number of

ballot boxes were already transported to all the district headquarters. They were supplied to the polling center just ahead of voting with the view of avoiding possible security threat.

EC officials said around 50 percent of the total voter ID cards have been distributed to the respective voters and the remaining distribution is underway.

“Everything is ready for the election and we are just waiting for the big day,” said Commissioner Yadav. “We hope the silent period will pass off without incidents as we want a safe and peaceful election.”

UN chief calls for peaceful vote

KATHMANDU: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday appealed to all stakeholders in Nepal to conclude the November 19 election peacefully, and to redouble their efforts in the urgent task of constitution-making. 

 Issuing a press statement by the spokesperson for the Secretary-General said that Ban is greatly encouraged by the commitment and professionalism with which the government, the Election Commission and the political parties have engaged in the process, despite challenges.“The Secretary-General has closely followed the preparations for the forthcoming CA election,” the statement said. “Much of the election campaign has been conducted in a spirit of free and open competition, and with a commitment to the peaceful democratic future of Nepal.”

On Election Day, UN said, it is the turn of voters to express their choice freely, according to their universal democratic rights, in an atmosphere free of violence and intimidation.  (PR)