Number Of Centers Needing Re-Polling Reaches 75
The Election Commission (EC) has further revised the number of polling centers requiring re-polling, on Saturday (Apr 12), to 75. “Seventy-five centers of 19 constituencies of 12 districts will have to have re-polling,” said Laxman Bhattarai, spokesperson of Election Commission (EC). The EC had said on Thursday, immediately after the polls, that there would be re-polling in 33 centers. On Friday, they had said the re-polling will be required in 60 centers, which again has been increased to 75 on Saturday. The EC has said that re-polling is being conducted in places where the polling were either cancelled or suspended due to violations of election laws. The EC has also announced date of re-polling in many of these centers. In total, there were 20,888 polling centers across the country. Compiled from reports
Gold Price Picks Up
Gold price started picking up again this week as global oil price touched $110 per barrel and American dollar remained weak. Gold price touched Rs 19,550 per 10 gram — Rs 22,803 per tola (11.664 gram) — in the domestic market on Friday, the closing day of the week. According to Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association's (NEGOSIDA), the price of precious yellow metal has gone up due to weakening of dollar. "The price rise in global crude prices that touched $110 per barrel that was $903 last Friday, slow down of US economy, weak global stock market and further weakening of dollar has pushed the price of gold up," says NEGOSIDA. Similarly, silver price has also witnessed a bullish trend this week. It increased by Rs 4.50 to close at Rs 386 per 10 gram on Friday from the opening price of Rs 381.50 on Sunday, in the domestic market. Leading dailies report
Nepse Slowdown
Once 1064-point-Nepse has not fallen below 700 points though it has reached as low as 702 points. This week Nepse witnessed only one session of trading on Sunday due to Constituent Assembly elections holiday from Monday throughout the week. However, Nepse has in one-day trading this week recorded a growth of 16.55 points to 746.69 on Sunday — the first and the last day of trading for this week — from the last week’s closing of 730.14 points. Leading dailies report
Singh The First Winner
The vice president of Nepali Congress (NC) Prakash Man Singh has become the first winner of the Constituent Assembly (CA) election. He won the election in Kathmandu -1 constituency by garnering over 11,254 votes. His win has not yet been formally announced by the Election Commission yet. He defeated Unified Marxist Leninist (UML’s) Pradeep Nepal, who bagged 5486 and Maoists’ Ram Man Shrestha who bagged 3898 votes. The vote counting result of Kathmandu 1 constituency came out this morning. Its results came quickly since the Election Commission (EC) had used Electronic Voting Machines in that constituency. Compiled from reports
King, PM, CEC Urge People To Vote
On the eve of the election, King Gyanendra Wednesday (April 9), called on all Nepalis, who are eligible to vote in the April 10 elections to participate in the CA. In a message he delivered he has urged Nepalis to exercise democratic franchise in a free and fair environment maintaining harmony and unity in the crucial polls. King Gyanendra added that he has always wanted the country to prosper through democratic means as per the decision of the people. “Beloved countrymen, it has been our only wish that the country progresses and prospers according to the sovereign decision of the people through the democratic process and that the nation’s existence, independence and integrity come under threat in no situation,” the king said in the statement. “We request all Nepalese citizens who are eligible to vote to exercise their democratic right in the April 10 Constituent Assembly elections in a free, fair and fear-free environment, maintaining the mutual harmony and unity,” the statement further added. Likewise, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhojraj Pokharel has urged people to come out and vote freely on Thursday. Addressing a press meet, Wednesday evening, CEC Pokharel also informed that all kinds of arrangements have been completed for the April 10 Constituent Assembly (CA) election. "I appeal to the people to come out and vote on Thursday," he said, adding that the right to secret balloting would be completely respected. Amid sporadic incidents of violence in different parts of the country, Pokharel said that overall security situation was satisfactory. Prime Minister President Girija Prasad Koirala Wednesday called on all Nepalis to exercise their franchise to vote freely from intimidation and doubts with confidence that their votes will remain secret. In his special message address to the people on the eve of the crucial Constituent Assembly (CA) elections today, PM Koirala said that the CA elections will open doors for Nepal to enter a new era. Similar messages and appeals have been made by Maoist chairman Prachanda, UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, among others. Compiled from reports
Top Leaders Reach Home Districts To Cast Vote
Top leaders of different political parties including NC president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala have reached their respective home districts to cast their votes in the constituent assembly polls Thursday (April 10). PM Koirala will cast his votes at a polling centre in Adarsh Secondary School located in Biratnagar 9 under Constituency No 7 of Morang. Senior NC leader and former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba will cast his votes in Dadeldhura district where he has been camping for the last three weeks. NC acting president and candidate from Banke-3 Sushil Koirala will cast his votes at the Forest Office polling centre in Nepalgunj. Maoist chairman Prachanda, contesting from Rolpa-2 and Kathmandu-10, has reached Chitwan along with his family to cast his votes at the polling centre in Laxmi Higher secondary School located in Bharatpur Municipality-6. Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai will cast his votes in Khoplang-4 of Gorkha. RJP chairman and former PM Surya Bahadur Thapa, entrenched in home district Dhankuta for the past one week, will cast his votes at the polling centre in Ram Secondary School in Gaurigaon of Muga VDC under Constituency No 2 of the district. RPP chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana will cast his ballot in the seat that he is contesting in Sindhupalchowk district. Compiled from reports
Govt Assures Of Full Security
Expressing sadness over the incidents in Dang and Surkhet district in which at least ten people lost their lives, the government has pledged an investigation into the two incidents. Issuing a press statement, the Home Ministry said the government would probe these incidents and bring the guilty to justice. Home Minister Situala said that security situation will be bolstered for the election. He said that the government has made all preparations for the election. Meanwhile, following the killing of UML candidate Rishi Prasad Sharma in Surkhet-1, the Election Commission has decided to postpone the poll in the constituency till April 19. Compiled from reports
EC Initiates Action; NC Says Violations Of Code Continue
The Election Commission (EC) has taken initiative towards taking action against the violators of the election code of conduct by issuing circulars to the concerned offices of the election officers and the local administration. The EC has also sought clarification from the concerned political parties regarding the violation of the code of conducts. In a regular press briefing Sunday, the EC spokesperson Laxman Bhattarai said that the EC has sought clarification from the election offices on eight incidents. Meanwhile, Nepali Congress (NC) has said that despite last week's pact inked by top three leaders, the incidents of violation of code of conduct have continued. "It is unfortunate that such incidents have continued after the understanding among three top leaders," said Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, chief campaign coordinator of the NC, at a press meet, Sunday (Apr 6). "In last three weeks, there have been 51 incidents of attack against our cadres and leaders. Most of them were carried out by the Maoists," he said. Dr. Mahat also regretted what he termed as attempts by Maoists to mislead the people by threatening that they would know whom they vote. "The right of the people to secret voting must be upheld," he said. Dr. Mahat said his party was committed to play by the rule of the game. "We are prepared to work together with other parties even after the election," he said. In another incident, senior leader of NC, Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed fears that unruly activities by the Maoists were posing as obstruction against the Constituent Assembly (CA) election at the last moment. “Maoist chief Prachanda says one thing, his workers do quite the opposite. What is this happening? I cannot understand. If attacks against other parties continue, the election could be stalled even at the last moment,” said former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, at a press meet in Dhangadhi, Sunday. Compiled from reports
UNMIN Urges Parties To Ensure Secrecy Of Ballot
United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has urged the parties to "confirm and support the Election Commission's assurance to voters of absolute secrecy of the ballot", also suggesting them to put aside partisan interests in order not to risk endangering the election and the peace process. "Voters should cast their ballots without fear of their vote being known to anyone, and without regard to violence, intimidation or inducements," UNMIN stated in its third report on the conditions for the 10 April constituent assembly election. UNMIN's recommendation to the parties to respect the secrecy of the voting process comes amid reports of intimidation of voters, particularly by Maoists, who are even 'rumored' to have terrorized the voters in some places by saying that the ballot boxes are fitted with video camera and that those not voting for the Maoists would be identified and punished later. The five-page report released Sunday (Apr 6) said that though the election campaigning has been peaceful in some constituencies, incidents of violence have continued unabated in other constituencies. Despite some cases of violence and human rights abuses, UNMIN report noted that momentum for the CA election continued during the past week. "Perhaps the most positive feature of the last week was the restraint and responsibility demonstrated in the face of the deliberately provocative bombing of a mosque in Biratnagar on 29 March, which caused the deaths of two persons and injuries to others." Furthermore, UNMIN also suggested the Seven-Party Alliance to confirm publicly its intention to work together after the election and to reach out to the wider political forces to ensure that the future political course would be an inclusive one. Compiled from reports
