Kathmandu, June 11

The Election Commission said it had directed authorities concerned to strictly implement the election code of conduct for the second phase of the local level polls.

“We have taken several decisions to implement the election code of conduct strictly,” Election Commissioner Sudhir Kumar Shah told mediapersons. He said number of poll code violations had been increasing as the date of the second phase of the local level elections was approaching.

According to Shah, the EC has directed the authorities concerned to cancel foreign visits of bureaucrats numbering 123, as all were against the poll code of conduct. The EC also barred some ministers from inaugurating programmes and visiting districts within the country.

Shah added that several ministers had cancelled the inauguration programmes and district visits following the EC’s directions. The EC has also intervened in the government’s decision to promote civil servants. The poll panel stated that it had halted 55 promotions and stopped deputation of 14 officers, as all were against the poll code of conduct.

Action taken

• The authorities concerned directed to cancel foreign visits of bureaucrats numbering 123
• As many as 55 promotions halted and 14 deputation orders revoked
• Some ministers barred from inaugurating programmes and visiting districts within the country