KATHMANDU, June 10: Keeping in view the assurances many countries have given for extending necessary support to the upcoming poll, the Election Commission (EC) has started consultations with concerned government ministries on the kind of support to be sought from the donor countries.
The EC held first round of consultation with the officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Sunday over the assistances to be sought with different donor countries for the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) election. "We have decided to seek necessary support from each of the donor countries after identifying what support to ask for," said EC spokesman Bir Bahadur Rai. [break]
The EC will seek support with the concerned countries through diplomatic channels once things that EC will need to hold the poll are finalized through consultations among concerned government ministries.
Officials present at Sunday´s meeting said they have decided to ask China to provide 40 various things and ask India to provide over 500 vehicles, ballot boxes, electronic voting machines and all necessary hardware and software required for the elections.
The meeting identified 67 different things required for election purpose. "There has been an understanding to seek the same assistance that each of the donor countries had provided for the 2008 CA election," said an official, asking to be unnamed.
Indian government had provided Nepal 500 vehicles for the last CA election. As all these vehicles are in use by various government agencies now, the meeting on Sunday concluded that more than 500 vehicles would be necessary for ferrying ballot boxes and officials to be deputed for election purpose.
Earlier in January, EC had written to the Indian Embassy to provid Nepal electronic voting machines in grant. As Indian ambassador to Nepal Jayanta Prasad during his meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety on Monday expressed willingness to provide support for the poll, EC has decided to seek necessary vehicles, electronic voting machines and ballot boxes from India.
The EC is preparing to use electronic voting machines in urban areas where majority of people are literate and traditional ballot paper system in all rural areas.
The meeting has decided that Nepal should ask donor countries to provide various items such as wax seals, ink, caps, table clocks to be kept at voting booths. While Japan will be asked to provide security seals as in the last CA election, other logistical support will be sought from various countries including Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, UK and the USA.
Earlier last month, Foreign Assistance Coordination Committee of the EC had held a meeting with the representatives of donor countries in Kathmandu. Officials said the list of support to be sought from donor countries is being prepared.
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