The task of publishing the final list of candidates and allocating election symbols to them has been completed, Spokesman at the Nepali Election Commission (EC) said here on Sunday.

As per the election schedule, the final list of the candidates was published from 10 a.m. to 12 noon while the candidates were allotted the election symbols from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Tej Muni Bajracharya said.

The EC has approved a total of 102 election symbols.

Various candidates had on Jan. 26 filed their nominations for the post of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chair and Ward Member to different Municipalities at the Offices of the District Election Officers concerned.

So far, candidates to the posts of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chair and Ward Member to 22 municipalities across the Kingdom have been elected uncontested, Bajracharya said.

The municipal election is taking place at the 58 municipalities in 43 districts of the Kingdom on Feb. 8, the Spokesman said.

According to the Spokesman, a total of 4,046 posts are vacant in the Municipalities.

There is one Metropolitan City, four Sub-metropolitan Cities and 53 Municipalities in the country.

As many as 72 political parties are registered at the EC for the purpose of the municipal elections.

Earlier, the local elections were held in 1992 and 1997 respectively.

The total number of voters in all the municipalities is 1,942, 990, out of which 966,189 are female.

Some 8,800 employees will be mobilized for conducting the elections.

Source: Xinhua