Election Commission Begins Monitoring Bank Accounts of Candidates' Family Members for Spending Oversight

Kathmandu. The Election Commission has started monitoring the bank accounts of family members of House of Representatives election candidates. Since most candidates spent outside the banking system despite repeated reminders to political parties and candidates to conduct all election-related expenses through the banking system by opening bank accounts, the Commission has increased surveillance on the accounts of family members as well.

To make election spending transparent, the Commission had mandated in the code of conduct that election expenses must be made through bank accounts. As the provision for making election expenses through bank accounts was not followed, the Commission has increased monitoring of the bank transactions of candidates and their family members during the election campaigning period.

Speaking on Friday, Commissioner Sagun Shamsher JB Rana, who is also the coordinator of the Central Election Code of Conduct and Monitoring Committee, stated that the Commission will decide to take action according to prevailing laws against candidates who do not conduct election expenses through bank accounts for violating the election code of conduct. He mentioned that the monitoring of candidates' election expenses is being carried out by the District Treasury and Controller Office.

Commissioner JB Rana also urged everyone to ensure a clean, fair, and fear-free environment for conducting the election by fully adhering to the code of conduct.