EC’s directive to curb activities harming election

The Election Commission (EC), Central Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee has directed the district-based election code monitoring bodies to curb aberrant activities or organization of feasts and parties or disturbing the peace by any election candidate and political parties likely to harm the election environment.

A meeting of the Committee held on Sunday directed the district code monitoring committees to also keep a tab on activities as making threat, coercion and enticement to anyone and to immediately inform about the same in case such activities are found committed by anybody. It also instructed the district-based election code monitoring committees, the Election Officer and the Monitoring Officer to promptly initiate action on matters that call for such action.

The meeting was chaired by Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, who is the Coordinator of the Central Election Code of Conduct Monitoring Committee. Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and Commissioner Ishwori Prasad Poudel were also present in the meeting.

Likewise, the Nepal Police has been directed, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, to prohibit the sale, distribution and consumption of alcohol during the election silence period (48 hours before the start of the voting and until the completion of vote counting) and to confiscate the contraband if be required as per the existing laws.

The meeting also directed the Monitoring Officer and District Code Monitoring Committee to submit to the Central Code Monitoring Committee or to the Election Commission within three days a report on the complaints related to the code violation received so far, the clarification sought in that connection, the clearance of the complaints and the status of action initiated till date.  (RSS)