Kathmandu, May 8
As many as 49,337 candidates are contesting for various positions of 283 local levels in the first phase of local level elections on May 14, the Election Commission says.
The number of men contesting the polls is 30,005, which is 60.82 per cent of total candidates. The number of women candidates is 19,332.
Among 1,830 contenders of positions of chiefs of local bodies, 1,723 are men and 157 are women.
Among 1,384 candidates of deputy chief positions, there are 257 men and 1,127 women.
The constitution requires a party to field at least one woman among two candidates for chief and deputy chief, but most of the parties in most places have restricted women to deputy positions. P
Likewise, over 95 per cent ward chairperson candidates are men.
Provinces 3, 4 and 6 will undergo the elections in the first phase next week whereas provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7 will hold the polls on June 14.
