KATHMANDU, Feb 5: The Election Commission (EC) has said that all preparations for the upper house election slated for February 7 have been completed.
With the completion of all necessary preparations for conducting polls in six provinces of the total seven, the election body has enforced electoral silence from Sunday midnight. "We have already dispatched all logistics including ballot papers, and officials are ready for the elections," said EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal.
Issuing a press statement, EC on Sunday urged the political parties and their candidates not to carry out any kind of publicity campaign until the voting concludes. During the electoral silence, parties should stay away from holding election campaigns and stop using SMS, and social media to canvass votes.
Will the election silence be heeded?
Before the start of the silence period, parties should remove their respective election symbols, publicity materials including posters and banners put up within 300 meters of the polling centers. The parties should stay away from holding election campaigns and stop using SMS and social media to canvass votes.
Constitutionally, there will be a 59-member upper house. Out of the total 59 members of the upper house, the elections will elect 56 members while the government itself will nominate the remaining three members.
All members from Province 2 and 16 from other provinces have already been elected unopposed.
The election slated for February 7 will elect the remaining 32 members. According to the details provided by the provincial election officers, 52 candidates are contesting for the remaining 32 seats of the upper house.
As per the constitution, each province elects eight members whereas government nominates three National Assembly members on its own.
Chiefs and deputy chiefs of 753 local units and members of the provincial assembly will elect the upper house through the single transferable voting system. So far, the election body has not officially announced the winners of the parliamentary elections under the proportional representation (PR) system.
After successful local provincial and central parliamentary elections, the EC is holding upper house elections.
