According to EC officials, the number of polling booths for the November poll is to be reduced by 2,478 as compared to the CA election in 2008.
Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Republica that the number of polling booths has declined as there is a decline in the number of registered voters in the new electoral roll with photo and biometrics.
Altogether 17.6 million voters were registered for the 2008 CA election while only 12.3 million voters have been registered as of mid-July in the new electoral rolls. The constitutional body will publish the final lists of voters on September 7. [break]
However, the number of polling locations has been increased to 10,017 from 9,824 in the previous CA election.
“The EC had also set up polling booths at the cantonments of former Maoist combatants during the last CA poll,” Election Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung told Republica, citing one of the reasons behind the reduction in the number of polling booths.
Gurung said that there can be some more polling booths as the election commission is yet to take a final decision on the issue.
According to multiple sources, the district committees are yet to make their recommendation on the number of polling booths for Ilam constituency-3, Morang-6, Kathmandu-8, Bara-6, Parsa-1, Tanahun-1, Kaski-1, Nawalparasi-1, Bardiya-3 and Doti-1, because of technical reasons.
The district committees, which are coordinated by the chief district officer (CDOs) in each district, comprise representatives from the active political parties in the districts.
As per the EC´s plan, there will be one polling both for a maximum of 900 voters during the upcoming election.
EC registers 162,000 new voters
The EC has registered some 162,000 new voters within the one-week window period provided for voters who were not yet registered in the new electoral rolls. “This is the preliminary data,” said EC Spokesman Bir Bahadur Rai.
According to Rai, the election commission registered 54,518 voters on the last day of the window period on Friday. The TC had begun to register voters from Saturday under the window period.
As per the calendar of events, the EC will now provide time for claims and objections concerning the newly registered voters. The constitutional body has already announced the calendar of events and program for the proportional representation and first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral systems.
Following requests from various political parties, the constitutional body decided Thursday last week to allow a one-week window period for voters who are yet to register in the new electoral roll.
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