Election Commission Reminds Stakeholders of Code of Conduct Ahead of Parliamentary Elections

Kathmandu. The Election Commission has once again reminded the individuals, groups, and organizations to which the code of conduct applies for the upcoming House of Representatives election. The Commission issued this caution after incidents of code of conduct violations were publicly reported in recent days, and a significant number of complaints were received. The election for the House of Representatives is scheduled for this Falgun 21.

The code of conduct fully applies to the Government of Nepal and its ministers, as well as the provincial government and its ministers. Furthermore, the Commission stated that the code of conduct fully applies to bodies and their officials of the Government of Nepal or provincial government, local executive bodies and their members, employees of the federal, provincial, and local levels, and offices and employees of government, semi-government, and public institutions.

Media establishments, their employees and journalists, schools, colleges, or universities, and their teachers and employees also fall under the purview of the code of conduct. The code of conduct applies to political parties and their affiliated organizations, candidates and their election representatives, polling agents, and counting agents.

Officials and employees of private sector banks and financial institutions, cooperatives, trade and industrial sectors are fully under the scope of the code of conduct. Similarly, the Commission stated that officials, employees, and workers of commodity and service-providing business entities, private and non-governmental organizations, and their officials and employees are fully subject to the code of conduct.

The election code of conduct applies to constitutional bodies, their officials, security agencies, security personnel, and employees, as well as officials and monitors of monitoring committees who hold public office.

Likewise, the code of conduct also applies to voters, observer organizations and observers, other bodies or individuals designated by the Commission, development partner organizations, projects operated by government and semi-government agencies and their employees, and organizations conducting voter education programs and their employees.

The Commission reminded about the code of conduct on Sunday after local executive officials were found participating in campaigning activities contrary to the election code of conduct. On Monday, it reiterated that the code of conduct fully applies to both government and private sectors.