Kathmandu, Jan 18: The Election Commission (EC) has stepped up preparations to enforce the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, and has established offices of returning officers across the country.
The EC also held discussions with political parties registered to participate in the House of Representatives (HoR) member election–2082 regarding the effective implementation of the election code of conduct.
The discussion was attended by Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, Election Commissioners Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar and Sagun Shamsher JB Rana, and Commission Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut.
Representatives of the political parties expressed their commitment to ensuring that the upcoming election is conducted in a free, fair, and fear-free environment. They pledged to faithfully comply with the Constitution, the Election Commission Act, 2073, the Political Parties Act, 2073, the Election (Offences and Punishments) Act, 2073, the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2074, the National Assembly Member Election Act, 2075, and the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, along with other relevant election laws.
In the context of the elections, party representatives also committed to cooperating with the Election Commission, the Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee and its sub-committees, election officers, and polling officers whenever required.
The Commission said it received suggestions highlighting the need for effective monitoring of the code of conduct and for strict vigilance against fake information, propaganda, and hate speech circulated through social media.
During the discussion, Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Bhandari urged all political parties to contest the elections in compliance with the law and refrain from engaging in politics of prohibition.
Election Commissioner Sagun Shamsher JB Rana, who also serves as the coordinator of the Central Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee, briefed participants on the EC’s use of social media monitoring tools to regulate online activities during the election period. He stated that the code of conduct would be implemented fairly with the cooperation of all political parties.
Meanwhile, EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai informed that offices of Chief Returning Officers have been established in all 77 districts, while Returning Officers’ offices have been set up in 88 electoral constituencies under the first-past-the-post electoral system. #nepal #election
