KATHMANDU, MARCH 21

Spokesperson for the Election Commission Shaligram Sharma Paudel today said that the election code of conduct's requirement for incumbent local representatives to resign from their post before filing nomination papers in the upcoming local elections was consistent with principles, Local Election Act, and Local Election Regulations.

Addressing the daily press briefing today, Paudel said the requirement was consistent with Section 13 (d) of Local Election Act, which stipulated that a person receiving remuneration from local levels, an organisation controlled by local levels, or any organisation that had received grants from local levels would not be eligible to contest elections.

Paudel said candidates were required to fill affidavits as per Local Election Regulation where they were required to state that they were not holding any post of emoluments or facility. He said the facility was defined by Article 306 as remuneration and local representatives who received remuneration were required to resign from their post if they wanted to contest local polls. Paudel said that resignation of incumbent local representative would not lead to vacuum in the local government as there was a provision for the lower-level representative to work on behalf of the higher-level representatives in their absence.

Government employees can also provide service to service seekers.

Asked about the CPN-UML's objection to the EC's decision to give two days for filing nomination, Paudel said one party was supposed to field seven candidates in one ward and there were 79 political parties in the election fray.

'We decided to give two days for the convenience of candidates and EC employees,' Paudel said, adding that one day might not be enough for EC employees to do the necessary work and store information in computer.

Asked why the EC had chosen green-coloured ballot papers for local polls, Paudel said the decision was taken to make it easier for voters and vote counters, as blue ink used for Swastik stamp would stand out on a green ballot paper.

Asked about reasons for increasing 100 per cent allowance for EC employees deployed for poll duties, Paudel said in the last elections, the EC had provided allowance up to 121 per cent and such increase was justified given the long hours, sometimes up to 15 hours, that the EC employees work in the run-up to the elections and even after elections.

In response to a query, Paudel said the EC was not using its own printing machines that it had bought in the last election as the repair cost of those machines would be very high. He said the EC was considering donating its printing machines to Janak Education Materials Centre, Department of Printing, or the Nepal Academy on the condition that EC materials would be printed free of cost.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 22, 2022, of The Himalayan Times