KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 2

The Election Commission has prohibited federal or provincial ministers and office-bearers of local units from using government vehicles in the election campaign.

Clause 5 section A of the Election Code of Conduct (First Amendment)-2022 forbids the use of government vehicles and resources for campaigning in the upcoming parliamentary and provincial assembly elections.

Voting for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections is scheduled for November 20 this year.

The election code of conduct brought into effect at the end of September this year for the twin elections aims to ensure the election is held in a free, impartial, transparent, and credible manner in a peaceful atmosphere.

Furthermore, the amended election code of conduct permits ministers who are contesting the upcoming elections to involve themselves in the election campaign in their respective electoral constituencies.

They are required to obtain permission from the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers or directly from the EC if they want to conduct or involve themselves in the election campaign within their constituencies.

They are, however, not allowed to use government resources and vehicles, according to Spokesperson for the EC Shaligram Sharma Poudel.

The EC has already instructed the concerned ones to comply of this provision in the code of conduct through the OPM- CM.

Unlike federal and provincial ministers, office-bearers of local bodies are allowed to be involved in the election campaign for the respective political parties beyond their local levels as well.

A version of this article appears in the print on November 3, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.