EC okays 18 appeals, rejects 21 on 7th day of hearings

Staff Reporter :

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday approved 18 appeals in the ongoing hearings against returning officers’ decisions on the cancellation of candidates’ nominations for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election.

On the seventh day of the appeal process, which began at 3:00 pm and concluded at 5:45 pm, a total of 43 appeals were disposed of. Along with the 18 accepted appeals, 21 were rejected as invalid, and four were kept pending for further review.

The commission’s hearings continue, with the eighth day scheduled for Saturday, 17 January, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, where appeals numbered 511 to 610 will be considered.

So far, 645 appeals have been filed with the EC, following the final scrutiny of nominations on 4 January.

With the deadline for candidacy withdrawal set for 20 January, the final list of candidates will be published on 21 January. Election campaigning will officially begin on 22 January, ahead of the 12 February voting date.

The Election Commission’s appeal disposal process is expected to continue until Sunday, 18 January.