The first round of Camp Management Committee (CMC) elections in all seven camps ended on Thursday peacefully.
According to reports from camps, today’s election witnessed majority of undisputed sub-sector heads and sector heads. Majority of registered Bhutanese of and above 18 years cast their votes from early 8 a.m. today.
According to the UN Refugee Agency’s Damak office, for the effective conduction of elections 186 booths were allotted in seven camps including 70 in three Beldangi camps.
Armed Police Force (APF) Inspector of Beldangi-II camp Hira GC informed that around 150 security personnel were deployed in Beldangi camps since the early morning to provide security to election booths and ballot boxes.
Altogether 744 representatives have been elected from all camps and they will vote for camp secretary and various other positions at CMC on Friday.
Considering the send-up examinations of School Leaving Certificate students, which also begun from today, teachers and students who needed to cast their votes were provided with special pass to allow them to vote without maintaining a queue as others.
According to Caritas Nepal, which looks after the education program in camps, 1311 students have appeared this year’s send-up examinations in their respective camps. Unlike in the previous years, three camps of Beldangi will elect just
a single camp secretary.
Analysts say, the competition among candidates vying for this post will be the toughest one as around a dozen candidates from three camps have filed their candidacy.
(With inputs from Tilak Niraula, Lakpa Tamang, Lok Bahadur Mahara, Tulsi Upreti and Hari Kumar Dahal)
