Kathmandu, May 20: The Election Commission organised an interaction for collecting suggestions from different political parties on reviewing the polling centres. On the occasion, participants spoke of the need to set up polling centres on the basis of population and geographical location, one polling centre must have a minimum of 1,000 population and polling centres should be the same for local and parliamentary elections.

MP Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Laxman Ghimire of the Nepali Congress said polling centres should be set up in such a way that it will be comfortable for the majority of the people and election related works should be carried out on the basis of all-party consensus.

RPP’s Balaram Ghartimagar and Baburam Paudel noted that the commission should have a map of its own and such centres should not be fixed in ways that will benefit a particular party.

CPN-ML’s MPs Sitanandan Raya and Devi Ojha expressed the view that polling officers should be given discretionary powers and elections should be held in one phase.

MPs Chitra Bahadur KC and Nawaraj Subedi said VDC buildings are suitable for polling centres and such centres should be determined in a scientific manner.

Amik Sherchan of the Samyukta Janamorcha and MP Lilamani Pokherel remarked that there should be a maximum number of polling centres for local elections.

MP Rajendra Mahato of Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Chief Election Commissioner Bishnu Pratap Shaha also expressed their views on the occasion.

Election Commissioner Biswoman Shrestha had presented a working paper.