“The commission has already started to design ballot papers in line with existing legal and constitutional provisions and calendar of events for the upcoming election,” Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Republica on Saturday.[break]
According to EC officials, the commission has already printed sample ballot papers after the government delayed amendment to the interim constitution. The government had assured the constitutional body to make legal arrangements by September 10.
However, the present technocratic government is yet to forward an ordinance on amending the interim constitution to the president.
The government must amend the interim constitution to expand CA size from 491 to 601 members as the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) and the Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party had recently agreed to retain a 601-strong CA. However, as per the constitutional provisions currently in force, the upcoming CA will have 491members.
“As per the existing legal and constitutional provisions the CA would have 491 members, while around130 political parties have registered with the commission,” Uprety said, “The commission is moving ahead accordingly.”
The constitutional body will ask political parties to file candidacy for seats under proportional electoral system from September 23.
The chief commissioner maintained that EC will not be responsible for expenditures if ballot papers do not get used.
Uprety said EC will begin to print ballot papers from September 26.
According to EC officials, the commission will publish around 30 million ballot papers for the CA election scheduled for November 19.
Asked if the November polls could be deferred as the major political parties have been trying to bring the agitating parties onboard the election process, the chief election commissioner said, “The existing legal and constitutional provisions do not allow EC to think about deferral of polls.”
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