President emphasizes large voter turnouts in polls

President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Wednesday stressed the need for a large voter turnouts in elections. The President suggested giving special focus to participation of as many as voters in polls, and making polling stations and booths voter friendly and accessible to all.

The President was receiving the annual report of the fiscal year 2075/76 of the Election Commission. "I want to call for making polling stations and booths friendly to senior citizens, people with disabilities, pregnant women and physically challenged people," she said.

Praising the Commission for playing a role in strengthening and institutionalising democracy through polls, she remembered encouraging voter turnouts in previous elections of Nepal despite difficult geographical terrains as compared to developed countries. "However, there is a need to increase the voter turnout," she said.

On the occasion, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya shared the status of formulation of integrated laws related to election, vacant posts of election commissioners, clearance of arrears, management of political parties, organisational structures of the Commission at district level and the need for election offices in line with federal setups and establishment of election information centres at state level. The report is scheduled to be tabled at the Federal Parliament through the Prime Minister as per the constitutional requirement.

Present on the occasion were election commissioners Narendra Dahal and Ishwori Prasad Paudyal, secretaries of the Election Commission and the President’s Office and the advisor to President.