Election Commission to Study Reasons Behind Low Number of Women Voters

The Election Commission is set to investigate the reasons behind the lower number of women in the voter roll, despite census data showing they comprise a majority of the population.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari made the announcement on Friday while addressing the conclusion of an 'Election and Mass Communication Workshop and Chief Trainer Training' organized by the Commission. He noted that a discrepancy was observed when comparing the voter list with the 2078 BS census, which records a higher female population.

Acting Commissioner Bhandari shared that during a recent visit to western Nepal he spoke with women aged 50 to 60 who reported that their names were missing from the voter list. He expressed commitment that the Commission will investigating such cases to prevent their recurrence in the future.

Meanwhile, Bhandari encouraged journalists to scrutinize the manifestos that political parties are expected to submit this week. He urged the media to report on whether these policy documents address the priorities of the current generation.

Highlighting the media's crucial role in the democratic process, Bhandari described the Election Commission and the press as "two sides of the same coin." He noted that the Commission had successfully brought divergent parties together to foster a conducive environment for the upcoming elections, referencing efforts following the events of September 8 and 9.

Regarding the inability of Nepalis living abroad to vote in the March 5 House of Representatives elections, Bhandari clarified that the current legal framework does not permit it. He also confirmed that, unlike in the past, the Commission is planning a cost-effective election this time as it has not received support from foreign development partners.

The training program saw the participation of 50 journalists from mainstream media. Sessions were led by Commission officials, including Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai on election preparations, Joint Secretary Yagya Prasad Bhattarai on the election code of conduct for media, Joint Secretary Rajendra Kumar KC on voter education, and Under Secretary Yogesh Aryal on the Commission's information systems. Journalist Rajanish Bhandari also conducted a session on the media's role in elections and social media monitoring. -- RSS