हे भगवान, यो ग्यानेन्द्र शाह भन्ने मान्छे र उस्का पछौटेहरुले गरेको बदमासीका कुरा
गर्दा-गर्दा वाक्क लागी सक्यो...नयाँ समाचार सुने मैले....

EC allows to vote without voters card

The Election Commission (EC) has directed all election officers to allow people to vote even if they don't have their voters identity card.

Kantipur daily reported that the commission has directed the polling officers to allow the voters to cast votes if they have any identity card issued by government authorities that can identify the voter like citizenship card, land ownership receipt, press identity card, identity card issued by university or government offices or recommendation letter made by VDCs or municipalities.

The election regulation of 2052 allows only persons possessing voters identity card to cast vote in the elections.

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Lawyers criticises EC decision, EC defends it (nepalnews special)

Lawyers have said that the decision of the Election Commission (EC) to allow voters to cast their votes without voter's identity card is inconsistent to the constitution and laws.

Talking to Nepalnews on Monday, a constitutional lawyer Bhimarjun Acharya said that the notice of the commission is not in accordance with the law and constitution. He said that the commission has no right to issue any directives that are inconsistent with constitution and rules and regulations related to elections.

Acharya claimed that the commission has brought out the news rules with the assumption that it would increase the number of people casting votes.This would be illegal election, he said, if it is so.

Secretary of Nepal Bar Association Madhav Baskota said that the directive of the EC violates the rule of law. He said that the directive cannot be accepted as a legal instrument because it is against the spirit of the constitution of 1990.

He hinted, however, that they would not move to the Supreme Court against the directive.

Meanwhile, the EC defended its move. Spokesperson of the EC Tejmuni Bajracharya said that clause 34 of the amended regulation relating to local election 1991 empowers the EC to bring such directives.

He said that the EC made this arrangement so that all people above 18 years, who have not received their voter's identity cards, can cast their votes in the municipal polls slated for Wednesday. If such am arrangement were not made, a large number of Nepalis citizens would be barred from their right to vote, he added.

Baskota also agreed that without such arrangement, people may be barred from their right to vote. But, he said, to avoid this situation, the commission should have distributed voters identity card earlier. The EC cannot go against the constitution in the name of protecting the rights of voters, he said.

The EC has not issued voters identity card since 2001 though it has been updating the list of the voters across the country.