KATHMANDU, June 10: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday extended the deadline by three days for political parties which had failed to forward authentic party representatives for attesting to their election candidates and verifying their particulars including signatures.
With this decision, any political party that missed the deadline for submitting their representatives for the purpose of candidacy nominations should now make those submissions by Monday.
The EC decision cames a day after parliament endorsed the Local level Election Act 2017 amendment in a bid to facilitate poll participation by the agitating parties. 'Those parties which had not submitted details of their respective representatives and their signatures required for authentification should now fix such representatives by Monday," said Election Commissioner Ishwari Prasad Paudyal.
Commissioner Paudyal said the decision will also apply to any party that wants to replace its representative.
In a bid to bring poll-opposing parties on board, parliament had decided to amend the Local Level Election Act 2073. Article 18 of the Act states that all parties should fix the names, positions and signatures of party officials responsible for deciding the candidacies of the parties concerned 15 days before nominations.
Revising the provision, parliament had mandated the EC to decide on its own regarding the number of days required for parties to submit details of official party representatives for verifying their candidates.
The EC, which has already conducted the first round local elections in the 283 local units of 34 districts, is holding second phase local elections in the 461 local units of Provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7.
Local leaders lobbying for poll candidacy
The EC has already printed the ballot papers, voter ID cards and voter rolls and poll officers have been deployed on the ground. Also, the offices of the chief returning officers have been set up at the 41 district headquarters.
