KATHMANDU: Voting is taking place to elect 19 lawmakers to the posts lying vacant in the National Assembly, the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, from 9 am to 3 pm today.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed eight voting centers and 14 polling booths for this purpose. It said it has already sent the ballot papers to the Office of the Returning Officer in all the provinces on January 21 itself.
There are 2,025 voters in seven provinces. There are 532 provincial lawmakers and the mayors/chairpersons and deputy mayors/ deputy chairpersons of local units who will cast votes to elect 19 NA lawmakers in the elections.
The five parties in the ruling coalition have forged alliance in the National Assembly election as well while the major opposition party, CPN-UML, has fielded its candidates alone.
The election for NA member is taking as the tenure of eight NA members from CPN-UML, four from CPN (Unified Socialist), four from CPN (Maoist Centre) and three from Nepali Congress is expiring on coming March 4. There is a provision that the election should be held before 35 days of the expiry of the tenure.
The EC said the health safety protocols would be strictly adhered to at the voting centres and booths in view of the high risk of coronavirus infection. It has already issued a list of health safety protocols to be followed in the election before this.
The elections of Province 1 will be held at Biratnagar, the elections of Madhesh Pradesh will be held at Janakpur and that of Bagmati will be held at Hetauda.
Similarly, polling booth has been designated in Pokhara for Gandaki Province, Karmachari Milan Kendra Dang for Lumbini Province, Province Election Office Surkhet for Karnali Province ad Province Assembly Building Dhangadhi for Sudurpaschim Province.
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