Nepal enters final hours of general elections, silence period to start past midnight

The Himalayan Nation will be observing a silence period past midnight on Thursday which as per the Election Code of Conduct, 2022 comes into effect 48 hours before the voting day until the polls are closed.

For Sunday's election, the Election Commission has stated that the preparations for the general elections are almost completed.

"Preparations of the upcoming polls are in final stage," Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, Dinesh Thapaliya told ANI.

The Election Commission from Thursday has started distributing election materials to all the polling stations except the ballot papers for preparations. Setting up the polling booth as per the election officials would be completed late by Saturday with security personnel guarding it round the clock.

As per the data, there are 18,879,570 eligible voters across the country who will be casting their votes in 10,892 polling stations across the country. For the smooth conduct of election, as many as 2,45,960 officials and security personnel have been deployed all across the country.

The electoral body has called on concerned authorities to abide by the election code of conduct. With special focus on political party office-bearers, candidates, sister organizations of the parties or related individuals, the commission has made it mandatory to abide by during the silence period.

Election campaigning as well as any type of discussion, interaction, assemblies, workshop seminar and gatherings are not allowed during silence period. Likewise, the Code of Conduct states that the election publicity materials of the political parties or candidates kept 300 metres around the polling station should be removed 48 hours before the voting day.

Similarly, canvassing by any method, process or means, and posting or sharing any message, information or publicity material in support or against any political party or candidate on social sites, online, print or any medium is prohibited during the silence period.

For Sunday's election, the Election Commission has set an additional of 141 temporary polling stations where inmates and on duty officers stationed far from their district would be able to exercise their franchise. Their number of officers and inmates stands at 450 thousand, as per the election commission.

There are a total of 2412 candidates on fray for first-past-the-post (FPTP) whereas 2199 candidates from Proportionate Representation (PR) are vying to enter the 275 seated House of Representatives. A total of 165 members are elected from FPTP system whereas 110 will make their way from PR system.

For the Provincial Assembly there are 3224 candidates from FPTP and 3708 candidates from proportionate seats. There are a total of 550 seats in all the 7 provincial assemblies of the Himalayan Nation out of which members on 330 seats would be elected from FPTP and 220 through PR system.

For Sunday's election, electoral body has already published 3,99,62,500 ballots for the House of Representatives and Province Assembly FPTP system. (ANI)