KATHMANDU, Jan 20: The Election Commission (EC) has decided to transport ballot papers by helicopter to five Himalayan districts for the election scheduled on March 5.
According to the EC, ballot papers will be airlifted to Manang, Mustang, Humla, Mugu and Dolpa.
The EC said helicopter transportation is necessary due to the difficult geography and snowfall in these districts.
Ballot papers printed for 36 districts
In Humla, Dolpa and Mugu, election materials along with ballot papers will also be transported by helicopter. The Commission is preparing to complete the delivery of ballot papers and election materials by the third week of February.
For the first-past-the-post system, ballot papers will be different for all 165 constituencies, while for the proportional representation system, the same ballot paper will be used nationwide. A total of 63 parties have been registered under the proportional system, but as some parties share joint election symbols, only 57 symbols will appear on the ballot paper.
The EC had issued a notice on January 1 calling for helicopter companies to enlist for transporting ballot papers and election materials to Himalayan districts. However, the EC said no company has applied so far.
Meanwhile, two companies have been selected for transporting election materials through courier services, while 11 companies have been enlisted for transportation by trucks.
