The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday has decided to print separate ballots for first-past-the-post (FPTP) electoral system in the parliamentary and provincial assembly elections .
The Supreme Court (SC) on October 18 had drawn the EC's attention to print separate ballots for FPTP electoral system in the parliamentary and provincial assembly elections. But a task force formed by the EC in its report had then pointed at technical difficulties in printing separate ballots.
The EC had prepared to start printing the ballots for FPTP system in both parliamentary and provincial election in the same page with that for the parliamentary elections on top and the provincial at bottom.
Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) leader Sarbendra Nath Shukla had then filed a contempt of court case claiming that the EC did not implement the SC's order. A single bench of Justice Dambar Bahadur Shahi hearing on the contempt of court case on Wednesday then sought the progress details about printing of separate ballots from the EC within three days.
The EC holding a meeting on Sunday has decided to print separate ballots after the SC's order. Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav stated the EC is positive about the Apex Court's order. But the EC has yet to say anything about the ballot boxes, place to put stamp and deployment of polling officers after deciding to print separate ballots.
The EC was scheduled to start printing ballots for FPTP system from Friday. But it had not started printing ballots despite telling the media that it has already done so.
