Campaigning Ends for Upcoming House of Representatives Election as Silence Period Begins

Kathmandu. The campaigning period for the upcoming House of Representatives member election is concluding tonight at midnight. The Election Commission had provided political parties and candidates time for campaigning from Falgun 4 until 12 AM tonight.

During the silence period, which remains in effect from 48 hours before voting until the completion of voting, no activities that could influence the election, such as campaigning, speeches, gatherings, discussions, or reviews, are permitted. The Commission has stated that soliciting votes, posting materials, or moving around in a manner that influences the election is prohibited during the silence period.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ramprasad Bhandari informed that if financial transactions are found during the silence period with the intent to influence the election, it will result not only in the cancellation of the candidacy but also in disqualification from participating in any election process for up to six years.

The Commission has clarified that a zero-tolerance policy will be adopted against activities influencing the election. The silence period is expected to create an opportunity for voters to cast their votes judiciously in a free and fair environment. The silence period is crucial for the election management body to make all necessary arrangements and conduct the election in a peaceful, secure, and orderly environment free from fear.

The concept of the silence period is designed to create a situation where voters, having received various forms of stress, pressure, and assurances during the campaign, can 'freshen up' to deliberate on all perspectives and vote for the appropriate person.

It is viewed as a time for candidates and political parties, who have presented their perspectives, plans, and programs to the voters, to calmly review their campaigning efforts, go to vote happily, and await the results.

The silence period will also be extremely important from an election management perspective. It provides the election workforce and security forces the opportunity to be free from all other duties and manage the election in a peaceful environment.

During this period, activities such as designating polling stations, managing voter queues, and assessing the security situation are carried out. In many countries around the world, the practice is to set a silence period ranging from 24 to 72 hours.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya states that the silence period is considered the time granted for voters to reach a decision to vote for the 'worthy and chosen' candidate with an open mind, informed, and consciously, to ensure the election is completed effectively in a fear-free environment.

The Election Commission has announced that candidates, political parties, and concerned individuals must adhere to special conduct during the silence period. The election code of conduct stipulates that all election symbols and campaign materials placed within 300 meters of the polling stations must be removed before the silence period begins.

During this period, soliciting votes or conducting election campaigning through electronic means such as SMS, Facebook, and Viber social media is prohibited. Similarly, no news or information promoting candidates or political parties can be published or broadcast.

For the election scheduled for next Thursday, 65 political parties are competing with 61 election symbols under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system. In the FPTP category, 3,406 candidates—3,017 male, 388 female, and one other—are in the electoral contest.

Similarly, under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, 3,135 candidates—1,363 male and 1,772 female—are competing. Elections will be held for 165 constituencies under FPTP and 110 seats under PR.

In this year's election, there are 18,903,689 voters: 9,663,358 male, 9,240,131 female, and 200 others. Additionally, the Commission has stated that 186,142 temporary voters have been registered.

For the election, 23,112 polling centers have been designated across 10,967 polling stations nationwide. 143 temporary polling stations have been established. For election security, 79,727 Nepal Army personnel, 75,797 Nepal Police personnel, 34,567 Armed Police Force personnel, 1,921 National Investigation personnel, and 149,090 Election Police have been deployed.

Two hundred fifteen thousand staff are being deployed for the election. The Commission has already printed a total of 42,251,200 ballot papers for FPTP and PR. Four international and 39 national organizations are deployed for election observation in this election.