EC asks govt to arrange robust election security

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 17: A meeting of the High-level Election Security Committee  held at the Election Commission on Wednesday issued an 11-point instruction to the Nepal Government, the Ministry of Home Affairs and other government agencies to create an environment to hold the upcoming elections in a free, fair, credible and fearless environment. 

In its instruction, the EC has asked the government to adopt suitable security strategy to prevent possible incidents like disruption of election, supply of weapons, booth capturing, supply and consumption of liquor products, depriving voters from their rights to cast vote and incidents of threats and intimidation. 

The EC has asked all the concerned agencies to actively monitor the activities of election code violation and undesirable activities during the silence period that begins from Thursday midnight. Likewise, the EC has instructed the government to impose a ban on the supply and consumption of liquors from 48 hours prior to the election day and until the final results of the election are declared. 

Since electioneering is prohibited from 48 hours prior to the polling day, the EC has asked the security agencies to increase surveillance and completely control all kinds of unwanted activities that contradict the election law, including canvassing. 

The Commission has also asked the government to manage systematic movement of vehicles on the polling day by fully complying with the standards issued by the EC regarding to the vehicular movement management on the election day, 2022. 

Furthermore, the EC has asked the security agencies to arrange sufficient reserve force to reach each polling station within 30 minutes and deploy security patrols as per the requirement. 

Meanwhile, the EC has sought clarifications from several individuals, including candidates, people’s representative and office bearers, following the complaints related to violation of election code of conduct. The poll authority has sent separate letters to those bearing beneficial posts, election candidates and local representatives seeking clarification within 24 hours.

The EC also urged all to comply with the code of conduct.

The EC has sought clarification from Mayor of Manohara Municipality of Kathmandu, Upendra Karki, on Tuesday for promoting CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress’s candidates for engaging in the electioneering within the municipality breaching election code. 

The EC asked Mayor Karki to furnish his clarification within 24 hours after receiving letter from the Commission. 

The Election Code of Conduct, 2022 bars local representatives from engaging in election campaigning for or against any candidate or party within the local bodies they were elected from. 

If the elected executive wants to campaign in favour of a candidate in places other than the local level where they were elected, they can only do so without using government resources (vehicles, security personnel, etc.). 

Similarly, the EC has also asked clarification from Dambar Sahu, a candidate of Nepali Party for Kathmandu constituency-1 for engaging in the canvassing without clarifying his party affiliation. 

The EC in its statement informed that in his interview with Nepal.Pre.Com, Sahu had said that his party had given the stick as an election symbol to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah and the Mayor’s support is with his party. Citing that his interview is misleading, the EC has sought clarification from Sahu. 

Likewise, a clarification has also been sought from member-secretary of Rastriya Khelkud Parisad Tanka Lal Ghising for engaging in election campaign in favour of CPN (Maoist Centre) and participating in the electioneering programme in Ramechhap. 

The election code of conduct bars government employees or office bearers from getting involved in election campaign of candidates and political parties.