Preparation for National Assembly elections over: EC

KATHMANDU, Jan 25: The Election Commission is all set to conduct the National Assembly elections slated for Wednesday. 

The election is being held for 19 seats in the upper house of parliament, which are due to fall vacant in March.

The entire management of peace and security, health protocol and election centers has been over, according to EC Spokesperson Shaligram Poudel. "All works for the election except setting up booths and all-party meetings have been over," he said, adding that the remaining works would also be done by Tuesday.

With the beginning of the silence period on Monday, the election publicity has stopped. Security persons, election employees and a team of health workers have been managed. The voting is being conducted from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Wednesday. There are eight polling stations and 14 centers across the country.

The term of 19 NA members is expiring on March 4. Among 19, eight are of CPN UML, four of CPN (Unified Socialist), four of Maoist Centre, and three of Nepali Congress. There is the constitutional provision that elections to NA members should be held before 35 days of the expiry of the term. Currently, nine political parties are in the election fray.

According to EC, Nepali Congress, CPN UML, Maoist Centre, CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Janamorcha, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Prajatantra Party are taking part in the election.

There are 2,025 voters for the election. They are Province Assembly members, and local level chiefs and deputy chiefs. It is expected that the voters will reach the polling stations and voting centers by the evening.

There is a quota of seven women, three Dalit, two disabled or minority and seven others for the NA member. There is the constitutional provision that the term of one-third of NA members expires every two years. The upper house of the federal parliament, NA, has 59 members.