KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has directed all 753 local levels to mandatorily operate CCTV cameras in the vote counting places.

There are a total of 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 voting booths for May 13’s local level election to be held in a single phase.

The Commission has already sent circular in all local level through Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration to use CCTV cameras in vote counting places to ensure transparency in the vote counting process.

Furthermore, if there are any disputes regarding vote counting, the CCTV cameras’ footage could be used to look into the matter since the CCTV footage will serve as the electronic archives, said Commission’s spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel.

Spokesperson Poudel shared that some local level had inquired the Commission if it was mandatory to operate CCTV cameras in the vote counting places which, Poudel argued, had raised question on the credibility and fairness of the vote counting process in those local level.
Vote counting process had courted controversies in Bharatpur Metropolitan City in the last three-tier elections and re-election was held in some wards as well.

To avert irregularities in the vote counting process, CCTV cameras are ordered to install in the vote counting places, the Commission clarified.

Furthermore, the sealed voter lists having photos have been sent to chief election officers and election officers.

The voters could see their name in the voter list in the Commission’s website. There are a total of 17,733,723 voters enlisted in the voter list, the Commission said.