The Election Commission (EC) has enforced the election code of conduct starting today for the upcoming local-level by-elections scheduled for December 1.
During its meeting on Saturday, the EC decided to apply the code of conduct to public office holders, agencies, and officials in the districts where the by-elections will be held until the completion of the election process.
The code of conduct applies to the Government of Nepal, federal and provincial ministers, constitutional bodies and their officials, executives and members of local governments, federal, provincial, and local government employees, security agencies, public offices, semi-governmental institutions, and their employees.
It also applies to political parties, their affiliated organisations, candidates, their representatives for voting and counting, public officeholders, monitoring committee members, observers, media outlets and journalists, private and non-governmental organisations, and educational institutions including their staff and teachers.
Additionally, voters, development partners, project staff from government or semi-government projects, private banks and financial institutions, cooperatives, trade and industrial sectors, and other entities specified by the EC must adhere to the code.
The EC clarified that activities prohibited under the code of conduct can be carried out outside the designated local-level election areas only with prior notice and approval.
The commission has encouraged filing complaints orally, in writing, through social media, or other electronic means in case of violations or potential breaches of the code of conduct.
Nominations for candidates are also being registered today. According to the EC, nominations will be accepted from 10 am to 5 pm at the offices of election officers in the concerned local levels.
The by-elections will fill 44 vacant positions caused by various reasons, including two district coordination committee chiefs, two rural municipality chairpersons, four deputy chairpersons, one municipality mayor, one deputy mayor, and 34 ward chairpersons.
