Major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Tuesday have given the priority to issues related to upcoming provincial and federal parliamentary elections. As the country witnessed a number of attacks on candidates, a meeting between Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and chiefs of security bodies has received prominence in most of newspapers.
Important
PM’s fresh directive to tighten poll security
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was busy soliciting votes for him in his own constituency in Dadeldhura of far-western Nepal, returned to Kathmandu on Monday and attended two major events related to election security concerns. He called chiefs of Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department to his residence in Baluwatar and directed them to tighten poll security, reports Annapurna Post.
Also yesterday, the Prime Minister attended the provincial security seminar of Province 3 in Kathmandu and directed security agencies to ensure safety of candidates and voters, according to the lead story in the paper. The report says the PM has directed the agencies to nab everyone involved in anti-poll activities and imprison them.
“It has been rumoured that the government cannot ensure peace and security,” Nagarik quotes the PM as directive, “Now, you need to disprove them. Other political parties make minor lapses a big issue; but you need to make sure that they get nothing to blame the government for.”
Over 200 arrested for anti-poll activities
Police on Monday arrested over 200 persons from various parts of the country for their alleged involvement in anti-election activities, reports Rajdhani. Most of them belong to the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led Maoist outfit.
According to the report, four persons were arrested in possession of five kg explosive materials from Chitwan yesterday.
Meanwhile, Nagarik says police have expedited the operation against anti-poll forces after they were accused of having a soft corner for political cadres including those of Biplav’s group.
Republica reports that candidates in Province 2 have been feeling greater anxiety over their security with violent attacks targeting poll candidates in many hill districts across the country.
All ballots required for polls printed
The Election Commission has completed printing ballot papers required for two phases of provincial and federal elections. The constitutional body printed over 57 million ballot papers, reports The Himalayan Times in the front page.
There are 15 million and 427,731 voters in the country. Each voter requires three ballot papers—one for provincial and federal parliamentary proportional representation polls and one each of first-past-the-post polls for the provincial assembly and the House of Representatives. The report informs that the Commission has printed 10 per cent extra ballot papers of each type as per regulations.
The Commission says ballots for the first phase of voting have already been dispatched to the district whereas those for the second phase will be sent to the districts next week.
Ignored
Home Ministry officials seek minister
In its three-column box story, Kantipur questions why the Prime Minister is not assigning the responsibility of Ministry of Home Affairs to any minister.
After snatching away the responsibility from Maoist leader Janardan Sharma, the PM has kept the portfolio with himself. But, some officials of the Ministry have sought that a dedicated minister should lead the Ministry as they need frequent directives from him/her to ensure peace and security in the run-up to polls, claiming the Prime Minister is too busy to look after day-to-day affairs at the Ministry.
The report claims that the Prime Minister has chosen to retain the portfolio as picking one from his own party as the Home Minister might create factions within the Nepali Congress.
2.6 million Nepalis lack access to toilet
Despite a number of campaigns to end the practice of open defecation from government and non-government sectors, around 2.6 million Nepali people still do not have an access to toilet, says the government.
The Kathmandu Post anchor story says the government had targeted to make the country 100 per cent open defecation-free by the end of this year. However, it has now been impossible to meet, according to the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage.
So far, 42 of 77 districts have been declared open defecation-free, according to the report. “Remote districts aside, Kathmandu, the country’s capital, is also not an ODF zone.”
Interesting
Nepali scientist leads search for new galaxy
Republica says Nepali scientist Sanjaya Paudel led a team of astronomers at Yonsei University of Seoul in South Korea to find a huge spiral galaxy resembling the Milky Way that was spotted 180 million light years ago.
Quoting Ken Croswell in the New Scientist Magazine, the report informs that the new galaxy boasts a pair of interacting galaxies that look like our galaxy’s two brightest satellites.
Rukum West candidates try to set precedent for minimal expenditure
Two major candidates for the House of Representatives berth from Rukum West district have vowed to be examples of austerity in their poll campaigns, reports The Himalayan Times from Musikot, the district headquarters.
Gopalji Jung Shah of the Nepali Congress and Janardan Sharma of the left alliance have not used posters, microphones or banners in their campaigns. Both the leaders, however, are visiting as many households as possible to solicit votes, according to the report.
Chief District Officer Bashi Kumar Acharya says these candidates have not violated the code of conduct till the date though they are old political rivals.
