Following the arson of vehicles during the gen-z protest in the Lumbini Province Election Office in Dang is facing difficulties in implementing the election program. With the schedule for the House of Representatives election on March 5 already announced, officials are encountering problems in activities such as monitoring the planned programs and inspecting polling stations, according to Gahendra Bahadur Kawar, Information Officer at the Provincial Election Office.
The Provincial Election Office in Dang has reported difficulties in election preparations due to a lack of arrangements and budget for monitoring and inspecting polling stations, particularly in remote areas of the district where demand for polling sites has risen. One office vehicle, was damaged in the arson during the protest on September 9, and no replacement vehicle is available, making it difficult to select polling sites and transport election materials, as per the Information Officer Gahendra Bahadur Kawar.
In the 2022 elections, Dang had 153 polling sites and 465 polling centers. However, the office has received recommendations to add 11 more polling sites from eight local units in the district, excluding Tulsipur and Gadhwa Rural Municipalities.
Ghorahi Sub-Metropolitan City, Lamahi Municipality, Babai, Shantinagar, Dangisharan, Banglachuli, Rapti, and Rajpur Rural Municipalities have recommended adding polling sites to the Provincial Election Office, citing the remoteness of existing locations. Among these, Rajpur Rural Municipality, which borders India, faces the most serious challenges. There is no public transport to reach the area, and the office’s own vehicle is damaged, making on-site monitoring difficult as per Information Officer Gahendra Bahadur Kawar.
The Provincial Election Office has also reported challenges in Bwayi Rural Municipality, located in the mid-region of Bardiya National Park, along with Ghorahi, Rapti, and Banglachuli. Since the office itself cannot immediately reach these areas, a multi-party meeting held in Ghorahi on November 6 assigned ward offices the responsibility of identifying which municipalities and wards face problems and how many voters are affected. Based on the reports submitted by the wards, on-site monitoring will be conducted and forwarded to the Election Commission.