Kathmandu, April 11
The Election Commission has asked Nepali Congress leader Shashanka Koirala to clarify his statement that he had to spend Rs 60 million to fight the 2017 parliamentary elections.
While the commission’s ceiling allowing a candidate to spend on electioneering was much lower, Koirala had recently said he had to spend Rs 60 million. By that, he meant the elections are growing so expensive for leaders that the leaders with weak financial backgrounds cannot contest them.
In its regular press briefing on Monday, the commission’s spokesperson Shiligram Sharma Paudel said if his statement was true, it would violate the election law, hence Koirala is required to furnish a clarification.
Paudel said Koirala in his report to the commission, however, had said he spent just Rs 2.175 billion.
Shashanka Koirala has been given seven days to clarify.
