KATHMANDU, Jan 28: The Election Commission (EC) has canceled the candidacy of UML leader Ram Bahadur Thapa questioning the validity of his disabled ID card. Thapa was fielded as a candidate for the upper house election by the left alliance.
Regional Election Officer Ganga Lal Subedi confirmed that Thapa has been disqualified for the election after he failed to produce disabled ID card in accordance with the newly amended disabled directive.
"He failed to produce disabled ID card as per the latest laws related to disability within the given deadline," said election officer Subedi.
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According to the election officer, Thapa should have produced the disabled ID card as per the Disabled Directive (revised) 2065 BS. But he holds a disabled card prepared in accordance with the previous directive endorsed in 2057 BS.
"When we sought for the updated card, he failed to produce it. By the time he produce the required identity card the deadline set for submitting such card had already expired," said Subedi.
The election office had asked him to produce the card within Wednesday. Thapa, however, submitted the card only on Friday.
As per the constitutional provision, political parties need to field at least a disabled person from each province in the upper house election. Based on the same legal provision, the left alliance had fielded him from Province 4 as a candidate for the upper house election.
The then Maoist rebels had broken both legs of Thapa during the insurgency period.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress has fielded Prakash Pantha under the disabled quota against Thapa. Election officer Subedi said NC candidate Panta will be declared winner unopposed on Monday.
Meanwhile, the EC has validated the candidacy of Sheshi Ram Parki of Province 7. A complaint was filed at the EC demanding his candidacy to be scrapped. Parki's rivals had argued that he cannot contest the upper house election as he has already been elected a member of rural municipality.
"We have endorsed his candidacy. Anyone elected as member of local units can contest the upper house elections," said EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal.
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