Candidates start filing nominations for local body polls in Nepal

Kathmandu [Nepal], April 24 : Candidates have started filing nominations for the local body representative elections scheduled to be held from May 13 in Nepal. They can be filed on two days.
The filing of candidature started at 10 am on Sunday and continued till 5 pm (local time) and the same schedule will be followed on Monday, the election commission said.
Chief Electoral Officer of Kathmandu, Rajkumar Khatiwada gave information about the process of filing candidature.
"Polling is slated to be held on 13 May. On April 24 and 25, the process of candidature filing is underway. As per the schedule produced by the Election Commission, candidates are filing their nominations here at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Kathmandu. As the Kathmandu Metropolis has 32 wards and the population is high, we have set up 18 registration counters for facilitating the candidates," the Chief Electoral Officer told ANI.
He said that after receiving the complete filing of candidacy, the Election Commission would publish the list of names of candidates late on April 25. He said the complaints against candidates will be received on April 26.
On April 27 and 28, the Election Commission (EC) will examine the nominations and take decisions after a probe into the complaints registered at the EC against the candidates. Likewise, the name list of the candidates will be published on April 28. Candidates can withdraw their candidacies on April 29. The final name list of the candidates will be published on April 29 and election symbols will be given to them on April 30, according to the EC.
Earlier, the Election Commission said that the offices of the chief election officers and returning officers have been established in all 753 local units, and election materials were being supplied.
A total of 6,743 types of ballot papers have to be printed and all the ballot papers should be taken to the voting centres by May 9. With 11 days for campaigning, Nepal would head for the polls on May 14, electing new representatives at the local levels.
The May 14 election would be the second round of voting to choose local representatives since the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015. Nepal last held the local elections in 2017 in three phases which too took place in a gap of about two decades.
Representatives for 753 local units in six metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 (urban) municipalities and 460 rural municipalities would be elected through May 14 election.
A total of 35,221 representatives will be elected for various local federal units. In municipalities, 586 mayors and deputy mayors and in rural municipalities, 920 chairs and vice-chairs will be elected. For 6,743 wards, as many chairpersons and 33,715 office bearers will be elected.
As many as 79 parties have registered themselves to contest elections at the local level. A total of 17,733,723 adults enrolled themselves on the voter list. Of them, 8,992,010 are males, 8,741,530 females and 183 have been registered under the "others" category. There will be 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 voting booths across the country.