POLLS EXPENDITURE MONITORING : Over Rs 628m being spent for poll-related programs

POLLS EXPENDITURE MONITORING : Over Rs 628m being spent for poll-related programs
eKantipur.com, 25-Sep-2007
BY BISHNU BUDHATHOKI

Despite the uncertainty that looms large over Constituent Assembly (CA) elections slated for November 22, Election Commission (EC) and other different non-government organizations are set to spend over Rs 628 million to carry out election-related programs across the country.

According to EC, it plans to mobilize over Rs 370 million to carry out training programs for returning officers, polling officers, assistant polling officers, volunteers to be deployed during the polls and volunteers deployed for voters' education campaign for the CA elections.

Laxman Prasad Bhattarai, spokesperson at the EC said Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF) under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction has already released Rs 120 million to conduct voters' education campaign across the country by mobilizing over 8,400 volunteers.

Similarly, EC has allocated Rs 32.65 million for media campaign -- Rs 1.28 million for production and Rs 2.78 million for NTV, Rs 2.11 million for KTV, Rs 699,000 for Image TV, Rs 400,000 for Channel Nepal. Also included in this headline are Rs 820,000 for production, Rs 3.46 million for airing from Radio Nepal, Rs 2.42 million for Kathmandu based FM stations, Rs 20,000 for each of the FM stations outside the valley and Rs 240,000 for each broadsheet daily and Rs 50,000 for each weekly under A category.

Meanwhile, 24 non-government organizations have already received approval from the Social Welfare Council (SWC) to mobilize Rs 162.11 million received from different foreign donors to launch media and voters' awareness campaign across the country.

According to a report received from SWC, National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination, Kathmandu led by Sumitra Manandhar Gurung has received Rs 29.18 million from a donor to launch a program to ensure

excluded communities' representation in the constitution building and democratization process in 25 districts.

Similarly, Piyush Raj Mishra of CEAPREAD, Lalitpur has received Rs 25.28 million from USAID to launch training programs for the farming community.

Anjan Kumar Dahal of Center for Legal Research and Resource Development, Kathmandu has received approval from SWC to mobilize Rs 18.29 million in 16 districts in the eastern region for voters' awareness campaign.

Similarly, Pro-Public, Kathmandu, has got Rs 18.29 million from Rights Democracy and Inclusive Fund (RDIF) through the Asia Foundation to launch civic education program in 24 districts in mid and far western region.

Prakash Mani Sharma of Pro-Public said that 27 local NGOs have been mobilizing 1,875 volunteers in these districts for the purpose whereas Pro-Public will deploy 600 persons.

"We have already provided civic education to 74,000 people in these districts," Sharma said, further adding, "We will organize 2,400 meetings - 1,200 meetings for civic education and 1,200 meetings for voters' education."

Likewise, Ghanashyam Pande of Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal, has received Rs 17.50 million from a donor for women's participation in community forest and constituent assembly from 25 districts.

Similarly, National Election Monitoring Alliance (NEMA), a joint forum of 14 different professional and non-government organizations, has received over Rs 64 million from DFID to monitor the upcoming CA polls.

According to NEMA's Pradip Gihimire, 14 partner organizations of NEMA will mobilize at least one observer in all 20,883 polling booths across the country on November 22.

Similarly, National Election Observation Committee (NEOC) led by former Chief Election Commissioner Surya Prasad Shrestha has received Rs 320 million from Danish, Canadian and Norwegian Embassies jointly to monitor the CA poll. According to Netra Timilsena of NGO-Federation, different partner organizations will coordinate and mobilize monitors during the election.

Likewise, General Election Observation Committee (GEOC) Nepal led by Himalaya Shumsher Rana has planned to coordinate with seven non-government organizations including Nepal Press Institute, Election Observation Institute, Nepal Law

Society and mobilize around 900 observers in 20 municipalities, 700 VDCs and 70 constituencies of 35 districts.

According to GEOC's Bikash Ghimire, the committee has submitted a proposal at European Union seeking financial support for the purpose.

Other organizations which have received more than Rs 5 million included National Indigenous Women's Federation (Rs7.9 million), Jagaran Media Center (Rs 7.2 million), National Peace Campaign (Rs 5.2 million) and Sancharika Samuha Nepal (Rs 5.6 million).