INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, APRIL 13The Local Level Elections (Vote Counting) Directive-2022 has
defined the circumstances under which a ballot counting centre will be considered captured.
participation in local level elections sought
vaccinated against COVID -19 by local level elections'
As per section 33 of the directive, capture of ballot counting centre will be referred to such circumstances wherein any person or
group influences the ballot counting process by resorting to undue force, issuing threat or intimidating the officials concerned
Similarly, if a person or group inhibits the election officer or employees from fulfilling their duties and responsibilities or snatches
ballot papers, ballot box and other materials in a bid to disrupt the vote counting process in a free and impartial manner, it will be
deemed a capture of ballot counting centre.
"In the event of occurrence of any such incident, the election officer will
suspend the ballot counting process immediately and provide information thereof to the chief election officer and the Election Commission,"
the directive says.Upon receipt of that information, the EC will depute an election commissioner or a monitoring team to the ballot counting
centre for on-site investigation or inquiry
"If the investigation report proves the capture of ballot counting centre, the EC may declare all the ballot papers of the concerned polling
centre illegal and cancel the voting of such centre," it reads.Subsequently, the election officer will have to issue a notice specifying the
venue, date and time for re-voting in the polling centre where the ballot papers have been declared illegal.The directive has also
stipulated the provisions for demanding re-counting of vote.Any candidate or his/her representative dissatisfied with the vote counting may
submit an application along with valid reasons to the election officer for re-counting of vote before completion of vote counting or sealing
If re-counting of vote is deemed necessary during an inquiry into the application, the election officer may proceed with the recounting
accordingly.The election officer may seek the help of any government or security agency in the course of vote counting
Likewise, the directive requires the election officer to maintain the confidentiality of valid and invalid ballots as well as counterfoils
of ballot papers by sealing them so that no one can open and see them.A version of this article appears in the print on April 14, 2022, of
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com