Razen Manandhar/Madan Wagle
Damauli, April 8
Out of over 1,000 applicants for National Observers, only 650 were given identity cards here because the rest did not meet the requirements.
"We issued only 650 cards to the observers as others have not passed SLC and those who have passed are known to be political activists," said Ram Chandra Tiwari, the District Election Office of Tanahu.
He also said that even the issued cards could be scrapped as investigation was going on for those cards as well.
"We have asked all the observation organisations to return cards of those who are not fit to be observers. And some have obeyed us," he said. He added that many observation organisations could not educate the would-be observers and many could have applied for observes with some vested interests.
A meeting was held here today to discuss the duties and responsibility of the observers. According to him, though the international observers are here to express their goodwill and to ‘learn from our experiences’, some problems were seen in dealing with national observers.
All over the country, over 60,000 national observers affiliated to 148 organisations are being deployed to polling centres.
"The preparations for the election completed today," he said adding: "We have dispatched all election materials to 314 polling centres and also have deputed all the staffers in their respective areas of duty."
"The materials have reached the polling centres," he said.
Around 3,600 staffers are being deputed in the district. Among them, 1,900 are sent from district headquarters and they will hire an additional 1,700 volunteers at the local level. The team will be under supervision of the 700 polling offers and deputy polling officers, who had been in training of the Election Commission. The staffers today started putting election notices in all polling centres.
In Tahahu, 34 contenders are contesting for three seats. For this, 267,618 voters will cast their votes from 314 polling centres, out of which six are temporary. The district has one municipality and 46 village development committees. Chok High School of Rampuretar kha is the smallest centre with 348 voters, while the polling centre of Kalika High School of Dumre Kharka kha is the biggest, with 1,147 voters.
"The security management have been complete in the district," Chief District Officer of Tanahu Kashinath Marashini said. "Security teams have been deployed in all polling centres and other areas. We are confident of our security management," he said.
[2008 april 9}
