64 % of electorate to exercise franchise; extra vigil on MCC, COVID SOPs

Itanagar, Dec 18: State Election Commissioner (SEC) Hage Kojeen today while reviewing the overall poll day preparedness and counting of votes for the PR and Municipal elections scheduled on December 22 through a videoconference with all the Observers,DEOs and SPs asked them to ensure the polls are free, fair and peaceful across the state.
The broad issues discussed in the meeting were readiness of polling stations, appointment of polling personnel and their training, law and order, communication arrangement, movement of polling teams, Model Code of Conduct (MCC), COVID SOPs, arrangement of counting halls etc. 
Joined by the State Election Commission Secretary Nyali Ete and Deputy Secretary Habung Lampung, the SEC asked the Observers, DEOs and SPs to ensure free, fair and peaceful election by keeping special vigil on MCC and the SOPs on COVID including the separate guidelines issued by the Commission applicable for all polling personnel, political parties and candidates. The overall feedback given by the DEOs/Observers/SPs were satisfactory and the stage is set for free and fair elections. It is the first time that Observers have been appointed for each district to oversee the entire district-wise election process. As of now, there are no reports of major violations of MCC and deterioration of law and order in all the districts. Ballot papers have been printed for all the seats going to PR polls and the same have reached the districts. EVMs for Itanagar Municipal Corporation and Pasighat Municipality have also been commissioned.

This time, out of 2,259 polling stations in the state, there will be polling in 1472 and out of the electoral strength of 7,65,005, a total of 4,89,423 citizens will exercise their franchise. There will be no election in the entire Dibang Valley district as all the segments in both Zilla Parishad and Gram Panchayats have seen unopposed victories. East Siang is the only district in the state where polling will take place in all the 120 polling stations. As many as 110 Gram Panchayat segments in the state fell vacant due to various reasons and the State Election Commission will take a final decision to conduct bye-elections in these constituencies after the electoral process for the current phase is over.
The SEC has appealed to all citizens, electorate, political parties and candidates to extend their cooperation to the administration for ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections. SEC PR

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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