The Election Commission has said it would take maximum one week to get the final results of the upcoming elections of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies.
According to Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, international preparations are on not to conduct vote counting in schools (as possible) and announce the election results by a maximum a week of the elections.
Management of human resources required for completing the vote counting within the expected time frame has been done, as he stated.
While giving his commitments in writing on a civic appeal for guaranteeing schools zone of peace amidst a program organized to issue the appeal by various nine organizations associated with education field, he said it was the compulsion of the EC to set up polling stations in schools due to lack of physical infrastructure for conducting elections in other facilities.
The Election Code of Conduct has banned political programs including mass meeting, interactions and feast in schools in view of the elections and its effective implementation is going on, according to him.
He added that political parties had already expressed their commitments to the declaration of 'school as zones of peace' through their election manifesto and just the implementation of such commitments was required.
He sought roles and responsibilities of parents, guardians and teachers on discouraging them to join political rallies and any other sort of activities.
Nepal's political parties on May 25, 2011 had expressed their commitments to the declaration of the School as Zones of Peace.
The 11 -point appeal declaration is about the prohibition of any sorts of political activities near and inside school premises, use of school age children in political parties' mass meeting, rally and demonstrations, demonstration and stockpiling of arms within the school premises and use of school resources for the interest of political parties.
National Human Rights Commission member Govinda Sharma expressed his concern over the use of children in the election publicity campaign against the election code of conduct in the recently held local level elections in 18 districts.
Director General of Department of Education Baburam Poudel said the Department was giving its special attention to keeping children least affected from the impact of elections and school holidays to be given during the elections period would be adjusted from the cut off in the winter/summer vacations.
Joint Secretary to the Ministry of Education Hari Lamsal said the Ministry was aware that schools should remain open at least 220 days in a year and there should be an atmosphere for children taking classes confidently. "Natural and human-induced difficulties have affected the school activities, however."
National Campaign for Education, National Campaign for Children as Zones of Peace and to protect children, National Action Aid and Coordinating Group, Education Journalists' Network, Education Journalists Group and School Management Committee are among those issuing an appeal.
On the occasion, Education Journalists' Group Chairman Deepak Bohara expressed his concern over the use of children in the election publicity campaign against the election code of conduct.
