KATHMANDU, March 31: The Election Commission has issued a 17-point election directive to the political parties participating in the May 13 local election. The directive was in line with the constitution, the act related to political parties, local level election act, the third five-year strategic plan of the Election Commission and the gender and social inclusion policy on election management, 2077 BS.
The directive urges maximum participation and representatives of people including women from all groups and assurance of gender and inclusive representatives in the poll.
Political parties have been asked to adhere to the Constitution and abstain from carrying out activities that would affect any communities, gender, religion, language, geography and culture while carrying out election-related activities.
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Polling stations and centers, vote counting areas and election documents of political parties should be made inclusive and gender and disabled-friendly.
Necessary arrangements should be made to ensure candidacy of Dalit women in wards and for any political party fielding its candidates for only one post at local level to ensure woman candidate.
Candidacy nomination should get women in at least one-third quotas except for reservation quotas for women, Dalits and minority communities and should be a proportional inclusive system.
Poll-related programmes including training, seminars, discussions and interactions run by political parties should ensure participation of women, inclusive groups and target groups.
Arrangements should be made to facilitate and help feeble, disabled and ailing people, pregnant and newly mothers and senior citizens reach and cast their vote with approval from the election officers.
Election publicity campaigns should be free of threats, abuses, insults or any type of ill treatments that affect people including senior citizens, women, disabled people and sexual and gender minorities and that would affect poll candidates.
Political parties participating in elections should manage and create awareness about the importance and participation in elections and right ways to vote.
