Kathmandu, Jan 31: President Bidya Devi Bhandari has suggested the Election Commission to work to get more and more voters involved in the election to institutionalize and strengthen democracy through the medium of the election.

Receiving the 15th annual report of the EC for the fiscal year 2077/78 today, President Bhandari drew the EC’s attention to make election system gender-friendly, to ensure voting rights of all voters and to make voting centre, polling station voter-friendly.

She shared that it was necessary to hold all elections within deadline determined as per the constitution and law for the peace, stability and development, mentioning that the EC has the crucial responsibility and opportunity to hold the election of President, Vice-President, National

Assembly member, members of House of Representatives, Province Assembly and local-level.

Stressing that the EC should remain prepared for periodic and other elections, the President opined that all sides are positive regarding EC’s election management. She also expressed the belief that the EC should be able to work seriously and with determination for free, fair, trust-worthy, economical and fear-less elections, reads the press release issued by the EC.

Earlier, presenting the report, Chief Election Commissioner, Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, briefed the President about election related policy, formulation of laws, registration of political parties, its management, voters namelist collection, its update, by-election of National Assembly members.

Thapaliya further briefed President Bhandari about the work executed by the EC including review of registration of the voters name-list, voting centre and polling station targeting the operation and management of election including upcoming local-level election as per the constitution.

The annual report has incorporated summary of work performance carried out by the EC, election related policy and legal provisions, EC’s organizational and administrative works, iits plan, monitoring, operation of votes name list, election education, training, political parties and budget implementation.

Also today, the Election Commission presented to the President a report on the recently concluded National Assembly elections.