National Human Rights Commission Warns of Serious Violations of Election Code of Conduct Ahead of Polls

Kathmandu. On the eve of the House of Representatives election scheduled for upcoming Falgun 21, the National Human Rights Commission has cautioned all concerned parties about serious violations of the election code of conduct.

The Commission's latest monitoring and discussions with stakeholders revealed that political party leaders and candidates are using indecent language and making hate speech against each other. The Commission has emphasized making the election human rights-friendly and ensuring full compliance with the code of conduct.

According to the Commission, there is an increasing trend of producing and disseminating materials through the misuse of digital technology that tarnish the dignity of others. Furthermore, the Commission has concluded that asking voters which party or leader they will vote for and then posting videos or audio recordings of this on social media violates the voter's right to privacy and the right to a secret ballot.

The Commission also noted that some media outlets are creating confusion by broadcasting news predicting that a certain candidate will win before the election, and that voter education has not been effective.

The Commission has also shown concern over incidents of vandalism at the offices of various political parties. Spokesperson Dr. Tika Ram Pokharel issued a statement urging against hateful accusations and counter-accusations, the misuse of social media, and the cessation of violent activities.

The Commission has called upon all parties, including political parties, candidates, and journalists, to refrain from publishing misleading news and to respect human rights by maintaining a dignified election process.