Local level by-election code of conduct comes into force

KATHMANDU: The election code of conduct for the local-level by-elections scheduled for December 1 has officially come into effect today, Sunday.

According to the Election Commission’s joint secretary and Spokesperson Nita Pokhrel Aryal, the code of conduct is applied to people holding public posts in the respective districts, to authorities concerned, and to officials.

It is applied to the Government of Nepal and its ministers, the province governments and their ministers, constitutional bodies and officials of such bodies, bodies of the Nepal government or province governments and their officials, local executives and their members, employees at the federal, province, and local level, the security bodies, security personnel and employees, government, semi-government, and public entities and employees.

Similarly, the code covers political parties and their affiliated organisations, candidates and their representatives, political parties and candidates vote-counting representatives, persons assuming public posts, officials and monitors of monitoring committees, organisations relating to election observations and election observers, media, their employees and media personnel, private and non-governmental organisations, including their officials and employees, schools or universities including teachers and staff are obliged to the compliance with the code of conduct.

The election code of conduct covers voters, development partner organisations, projects run by governmental and quasi-government bodies and their staffs, organisations conducting voter education and their employees, private sector banks and financial institutions, cooperatives, trade and industry sector, their office-bearers, employees and workers, and the office-holders, employees and workers of goods and service providing business organisations.

The Election Commission said that if works prohibited by the code have to be carried out or have them done in other places of the district except in the local level where the election is taking place, the EC should be informed beforehand and these works can be carried out as per the solution given.

The Election Commission has expressed its confidence that all will extend cooperation in conducting the election in a free, fair, peaceful and credible manner by fully adhering to the Election Code of Conduct, as it is the statutory responsibility and moral duty of all individuals, organisations and officials to abide by the code.

The EC has urged one and all to lodge complaints in writing, verbally or through social sites, electronic means or any other way if any activities are found carried out by flouting the election code or if there are adequate grounds and reasons that the code is going to be breached.

The Election Commission has warned of legal action against anyone found violating the election code of conduct.