Nearly half the respondents of an opinion poll survey carried out by an independent organization have said that they don’t believe the forthcoming municipal polls will be held in free and fair manner.

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An opinion poll survey carried out by the Interdisciplinary Analyst, a Kathmandu based research organization said that only 16.4 percent respondents believe that the municipal polls will be held in free and fair manner.

According to surveyors, samples have been collected from 32 municipalities of 25 districts of the country.

Of the 1,500 total respondents, nearly half of them expressed their wiliness to vote in the forthcoming municipal polls while nearly 30 percent respondents said they have not yet decided on it. Nearly 20 percent respondents said that they will not cast votes in the upcoming municipal elections.

Only one third respondents said that the election is important to restore the stalled democratic process in the present circumstances, while 25 percent marked if not important at all.

Speaking at the report release programme, Dr Sudindra Sharma, Interdisciplinary analyst said that the result may be different as the poll was conducted before Maoists started action against the municipal candidates.

The survey was conducted in Kathmandu valley before the Maoist attack at Thankot checkpoint.

Another Interdisciplinary analyst, Pawan Kumar Sen, said that they had collected samples from various groups to minimize error in sampling.

The survey was conducted between Januray 5 to 25.

Sen informed that nearly 54 percent respondents were of the age group 18-35, 35 percent of the age group 36-55 and 11 percent of the age group 56 and above.

He claimed that they had given more attention in sample collection to represent larger population through small samples.

“Nearly 14 percent respondents were directly affected by the conflict,” he added.

Of the total people who had expressed their willingness, nearly one third said that they will vote for the independent candidates. Nearly 26 percent said they will vote for party candidates.

Despite the government’s commitment to provide full security to the poll candidates and voters, among the people who had said they won’t vote in the upcoming municipal polls, nearly 25 percent of them said it is unsafe to go to the polling centres, while 23 percent said they were not voting because the elections were unconstitutional. However only 8 percent respondents said that they were not voting as the party they would like to vote for was boycotting the polls.

The government is holding municipal poll on February 8 despite the call of seven party opposition alliance to actively boycott it and the Maoist threat to disrupt it.

The survey was conducted before the date of filing of candidacy for the municipal poll.

The Interdisciplinary Analyst conducted opinion poll surveys in earlier elections also.