As part of its unprecedented campaign, Election Commission will send 8 thousand volunteers in each and every house of all villages of Nepal to deliver invitation cards: You and your family members [who are registered at the Commission] are heartily invited to the nearby voting both for the Constituent Assembly election on November 22. No RSVP please!
An invitation to your family to vote. Sketch by Dewen via Kantipur
By Dinesh Wagle
People’s sacrifice brought them Loktantra
Constituent Assembly now rules their hearts
The Nepali version of this jingle, currently stored in the computers of select officials at the Election Commission (EC), will soon be broadcast over radio stations across the land.
The first airing of this jingle inviting people to Constituent Assembly (CA) poll booths on November 22, will mark the beginning of the biggest ever Voter Education Campaign (VEC) conducted by the EC. Unlike media campaigns by business houses promoting their products, the EC campaign will not only use all available forms of media but also deploy almost 8,000 people in door-to-door campaigns.
“We will explain to voters that their vote could have an impact on their own lives,” said Gopal Aryal, coordinator of VEC. “We will inform them of the technical aspects like how to ascertain if they can vote, what the ballot paper looks like, and how to cast votes in two ballot boxes. We want to tell them that their vote would make a difference.”
While it is upto the individual citizens to decide whether or not they make the trip to the voting booths, the EC plans to make them fully aware that this country’s biggest democratic exercise ever is taking place. Currently, 17.6 million voters are registered at the EC.
Constituent Assembly will write a Constitution
Only that will bring permanent peace in Nepal
Nepal is seeing the first national-level vote in eight years. During this period, the media has grown considerably. The number of FM stations has increased, and their coverage area expanded. Newspaper circulation and readership have grown, and so has the number of internet users in urban areas.
The growth in the number of TV channels is the biggest change witnessed during this period. There was only one TV station, a state-run one with terrestrial broadcasts, eight years ago.
Today Kathmandu and many parts of country receive signals from five additional stations, four of which have satellite uplinks. As part of the EC campaign for CA polls, be prepared for TV talks shows centered on the CA, apart from publicity videos. Additionally, the EC is working to improve its website which will be accessible from a new domain name (election.gov.np). To make the publicity inclusive, Aryal said advertisements will be dubbed in 16 to 17 languages.
Advertising campaign experts point out that the EC should be doing more, especially in areas beyond the reach of the media. Thirty-five percent of the population lives in such areas, said Ranjit Acharya, chief of Prisma Adveritising. “May be we can deliver the message via dohori songs, street plays or local cultural programs,” he said.
Let’s realise that the CA will decide the country’s fate
And let’s all go together to caste our votes
If this jingle isn’t to your liking, expect a personalised invitation card from the EC. The card, whose design will soon be finalized, will read something like, “Come one, come all…to cast your votes on Nov 22!”
EC-trained volunteers – one male and one female primary teacher for each village – will go door-to-door to deliver the invitation cards containing information on the location of polling booths and the invitees’ serial numbers in the voters registration list, among other things.
Those volunteers will definitely have some impact on ‘media dark area’ but Prijma’s Acharya stresses on the need for “an inverted pyramid campaign.” “Commission should also train those influential in society who regularly speak on TV/Radio talk shows and address mass meetings but don’t have adequate idea on CA.”
United We Blog 
Comments
19 responses to “Come One, Come All To Vote Your Destiny: Election Commission”
CA, it is just a dream. it feels nice now. it feels so real.
but to get to CA there are obstacles namely JMTT, MJF, CPN-M, YCL and so on and so on. all of them have their own agendas. in a sense or other they are terrorizing everyone.
well when you wake up from this dream, you will know it all.
besides i am not at all optimistic in this process of CA.
well best of luck to those who have made up their mind to vote for someone.
If the maoists start to uphold their agreements with the SPA and the janjati and madhesi groups are talked to we can have the elections. 70% depends on the maoists upholding their commitment.
Thinking positive, hope that the dream of the Nepali People to make the constitution for them by them, by the CA Election will be definitely held on November. Now, it is not the time to debate on the possiblities of CA election but it is the time of thinking about how the constitution will be held in peaceful manner. So, let’s make a commitment to make this CA Election success with our full participation.
The government alone can’t do anything if there is no proper support by it’s people. So, the fate of the country is in our hand. Let’s unite for making the CA Election a success. Let’s be prepared to vote your right choice and right representative.
How I wish Wagle being mascot for CA election. Explain CA or just summarize CA for me- I got no clue. Does it mean Madeshi shall have more than 60% in all aspect from seat in the assembly to in policy making, security or in civil service? Or Janjati will automatically get quota or reservation albeit their economic or social standing and how will CA empower individuals who do not wish or have affiliation with political party, union or any damn organization. And how will nation vote if Tarai does not want to participate or CA is just prize whoever has a muscle of varied kinds.
The exercise of CA will be empowering or groupism, political parties and INGOs not for people like us or individuals who believes in guarantee of rights and freedom without the duress of politicization, threats and need to ally with certain organization or communal group to save their skin. So much for CA. Only the fools rush in.
To thwart the intimidations and insecurity, is it not conceivable to arrange for a flexible voting system, such as “mailing in” or spreading the voting process in stages in different parts of the country?
wagle ji: with all the proliferation of the media, and despite the fact that I am living in kathmandu, I am still not aware of the following and I was wondering if you can help me out:
1. Will this constituent assembly replace the current parliament? Or will they run concurrently?
2. Will the current parliamentarians be able to contest polls?
3. Why are 17 persons allocated for nominations when this is a loktantra now?
4. How can the election held under the 8party alliance be fair for parties that are not represented in the 8 parties?
5. How will this CA agree on a constitution? Is it by simple majority or 2/3?
At least the EC’s poster could have a correct spelling. Its “Chulei” not “Chule”. What stupidity is this despite getting crores of rupees for printing posters? At least they could ensure correct spelling and grammar. I personally don’t think the CA elections can be held with this government in power.
Best of luck for ALL OF US NEPALESE.
How about voting facility for Nepalese living abroad… We are still Nepalese.
how can u send a ‘chule nimto’ to vote?
since when did kids get the right to vote in nepal?
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republican– how can you have a name called “republican” and not allow children to vote.. I thought that happened only in the last 237 years when people were oppressed and now that we are heading towards a republican set up, every one will become equal… so, in such a brilliant set-up, even children should be allowed to vote..
I don’ think there will be any election. Even if there will be it will be another fiasco like the Municipal elections conducted by the royal government. 25 percent will go to vote.
guyfromktm,
lets say you’re a kid… if some ycl uncles gave you some candies, you’d definitely vote for prachanda…. no doubt. it happens to 50% of nepalese adults, it’ll happen to 99% of kids.. that’s why kids should not vote.
concerning the elections, i have two concerns. first, the maoists have win a significant percentage of votes. the biggest concern though is that 90% of the votes they get might be because of ycl – booth capture, intimidation, vote rigging and so on.
republican– looks like you have got all your percentages worked out perfectly… I do understand why kids shouldn’t be allowed to vote but the way republican setup is being sold in Nepal leads us to believe that such a set up is a panacea to everything and it will take away every malaise that we had in the last 237 years, I was under the impression that you may have also chosen your name because of that but now I know differently… tks.
republican setup “with a multiparty democracy – not people’s republic” isn’t a panacea to all the problems facing our country. there isn’t any single solution to all the problems. it is just a significant step in that direction. we need to realise the dire situation that our country is in and work towards pulling nepal out of the abyss of uncertainity, poverty, underdevelopment, lawlessness. The CA elections also needs to make sure that all minorities and ethnicities are given a significant say in running the country. If not, then the CA would indeed spell disaster for us.
CA for all the hoopla can never be inclusive- it will further bring rift among people based on politics, caste, creed and communities. I just cannot understand the rush. As is, tarai is in verge of annoucing independent state and these goons sitting on a high chair expressedly want to exercise another “Sierra Kilo” down in Madesh- the real intention of these Shitoula and bunch is to cart away plains to India. I see no logic in going for CA. It will only aggrivate more rather than bring this nation already suffering from anarchy and autonomous bandwagon.
Right, these certain class of people feel they belong to super nova loktrantra where only they matter and what they speak and do is nothing but the truth and holy grail. Get some sense. In order to prove loktrantric, they are willing to forgo a nation and its independence. How low can you get?
Basically, Nobody know what CA entitles or what it is really about- forget about village not even a well versed guy in metropolitian Kathmandu truly understands it. So you take a guess.
this is the time when we can show our support for whom ever.
let’s all come together and decide the future of nepal.
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