KATHMANDU, April 20: The Election Commission (EC) has urged the political parties contesting the May 14 local level elections to ensure women's candidacy in all posts.
"I in person request all political parties and their leaders to ensure women candidacy in all posts as far as possible," said Chief EC Commissioner Dr Ayodhi Prasad Yadav.
All people want a type of rural municipality and municipality led by women, said Dr Yadav while speaking at a program on the topic of 'strengthening women's leadership and representation' organized here today by the Commission with the financial aid from the United Nations Development Program.
He also informed that the EC has prioritized deploying as many as women government employees for the polls.
"The printing of ballot papers for all districts where the polls will take place will be complete until today's evening. Printing voter's lists and identity cards has been completed. All election-related materials have been transported to respective districts," he said.
The new constitution has made it compulsory to ensure 40 percent representation in local level polls—an increment from 33 percent in the erstwhile two Constituent Assembly elections. Likewise, a provision says that a woman should take up the post of chief and deputy chief at local bodies.
Meanwhile on the occasion, Speaker Onsari Gharti viewed that the local polls are needed to enforce the constitution that she said has accommodated women's greater say. "I want to urge all to make this great campaign of the polls a success," she said.
Also, Secretary of the Commission Gopi Nath Mainali expressed hope that the elections would contain women's representation and leadership at the same time.
Other participants including Chairperson of Inter-Party Women's Alliance Pratibha Rana and coordinator of the common campaign for women's participation in the polls Durga Ghimire stressed the need for ensuring as much representation of women as in the polls. The two-day was participated by women leaders of political parties from all districts across the country. RSS
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