Nepal Enters Silence Period Ahead of House of Representatives Elections

Kathmandu. The election publicity ban, or silence period, for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for Thursday, will begin tonight at 12 AM (Monday). The Commission has set the prohibition period from 48 hours before voting until the polling stations close on election day.

The Commission will monitor the potential misuse of social media during this silence period.

This period holds special meaning and importance during the election management process. Specific conduct is mandated for all stakeholders, including political parties, candidates, journalists, media outlets, and voters, to adhere to during this time. In any election, an official publicity period is set after the nomination of candidates.

The Commission had set the election publicity period from the 4th to the 18th. Acting Chief Commissioner of the Election Commission, Ramprasad Bhandari, stated that the prohibition period or silence period is designated to provide voters with an opportunity to make their decisions freely and independently, free from pressure from parties or candidates, and that this promotes fair competition.

He explained that the global practice of prohibiting publicity for some time before voting is based on the belief that election campaigns should be transformed into a process of winning the hearts of the general voters with a culture, rather than merely as a means to win, allowing voters to select suitable candidates in a peaceful environment.

The Commission expressed confidence that strictly adhering to the conduct prescribed for the silence period will help promote the impartiality and integrity of the election by all political parties, candidates, and stakeholders. During the publicity ban period, no form of discussion, interaction, assembly, workshop, or seminar related to election campaigning is permitted.

The relevant parties have also been instructed to remove political party or candidate publicity materials placed within three hundred meters of the polling stations 48 hours before the voting day. During this period, political parties, candidates, and their affiliated organizations must remove advertisements and election publicity materials posted on social media.

Acting Chief Commissioner Bhandari warned that action will be taken if any publicity material is found posted on social media, online, print, or any other medium in favor or against political parties or candidates during the publicity prohibition period.