The ECN has been conducting CLC and EDR workshops across the country, most recently in Kaski, in order to provide civic and electoral education to local communities.

Pokhara, November 2-5: The Election Commission, Nepal (ECN), continued efforts to deliver on its commitment to conduct credible elections for consolidating Nepal’s democracy by working with a range of different partners, most recently in Pokhara, where the by-election for a seat in the House of Representatives is to be held on November 30, 2019. From November 2 to 5, the ECN facilitated a workshop with the Community Learning Centres (CLCs) on how CLCs can provide civic and electoral education to their local communities, especially marginalized ones. The ECN also led a training workshop on Electoral Dispute Resolution (EDR) with representatives from political parties, the District Administration Office, security forces, the District Attorney Office, media, observers and other representatives from civil society on November 4.

At the workshop with the CLCs, the Chief Election Commissioner, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, emphasised the important role that community-level organisations can play in dispensing civic and voter education at the grassroots. “CLCs can urge the community members to cast their votes in the upcoming by-elections, teach the community the technique of voting so that no vote is invalid, and provide them with factual information so as to allow each voter to cast an informed vote,” he said.

The Chairperson of Shikharapur CLC, Shyam Bahadur K.C., added that such workshops empower CLCs and provide them with the opportunity to take civic and voter education to the community level to strengthen democracy. During the workshop, the CLC managers and facilitators learned about the electoral system, the election process, as well as the duties, roles and responsibilities of electoral stakeholders. They also partook in a mock polling exercise at the Electoral Education and Information Centre located in the ECN District Election Office.

At the workshop on electoral dispute resolution, there was a lively and interactive discussion around electoral disputes and the ways to resolve them. The sessions included the electoral legal framework, electoral disputes, violence and offences, mechanisms for electoral dispute resolution and the hearing process.

The CLC workshops have taken place in Bhaktapur, Baglung, Panchthar, Dang and Sunsari, with the support of the ECN, the EU, UNDP and UNESCO.  Likewise, the EDR training workshops have taken place in Bhaktapur and Sunsari, with the support of the ECN, the EU and UNDP. Both series of events intend to cover the areas in which by-elections will take place at the end of November, and more such workshops are scheduled for the coming days.