Voters' List Act published

KATHMANDU, Jan. 2: The Government of Nepal has published the Voters' List Act-2063 B.S. for information of the public. The Act developed by in the first year of the issue of the House of Representatives Declaration 2063 was published in the Nepal Gazette on December 29. The Act has been formulated in order to bring amendments and integration to the voters' list law for the elections to the constituent assembly. Various provisions including avoiding the repeating of double registration, demand for evidence in the name registration, change and addition to the final list of voters and the provision to raise questions at the court have been included in the Act. The Act provides for special provision concerning the temporary voters' list including the employees working under the Government , under the Army, Police or based at the cantonments, those imprisoned in various prisons and the employees on duty in election or polling centres. The temporary voter's list would be used only for the purpose of voting for the posts of 204 members in the Constituent Assembly that will take place on the basis of proportional electoral system. According to the Act, if a non-Nepali citizen lies he is a Nepali citizen and registers his/her name in the voters list, the person would be penalized with a fine of up to Rs. 50,000 and six months imprisonment or both. Similarly, if anyone provides fake particulars and registers his/her name in the voters list or gives an application with fake information regarding his/ her name, address, age or other details, knowingly makes changes in the voters list or makes addition and deletions in it, destroys it or mutilates it, or if anyone intimidates or lures the employees deployed in connection with collecting names for voters list or prevents the employees from carrying out their work and exposes the secrecy that has to be maintained, such a person would be liable for a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or one month imprisonment or both. Likewise, any person inciting to commit the crime, colluding in the crime or helping to carry out the crime would be liable for half the punishment handed down to the person committing the crime. As per the Act, the officer responsible for collecting names and registering names for the voters list or any other employee involved in the election related works would be liable for departmental action of the Commission in accordance with the current laws if the officer and employee concerned makes additions and deletions of names in and from the voters list and the final voters list with ill intention. The cases to be filed in accordance with this Act would be file on behalf of the Government of Nepal. The District Election Officer of the District concerned would carry out the investigation and hearing into the cases related to the election. RSS