Elections are won by principles, not money: CEC

Kathmandu, July 27

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has said the Policy Study Foundation is doing its homework regarding the type of election in the country in the coming days.

CEC Thapaliya said so at a discussion on the performance and the annual report of the Election Commission held at the Parliamentary State Affairs and Good Governance Committee today.

He said enough homework would be done on making the existing election system frugal and effective rather than changing the election system itself.

At the meet, the committee members had suggested starting a debate on options as the present costly election system was having adverse impact on democracy and political norms and values.

The Election Commission has said preparations were being made to hold discussions with political parties for integrating the scattered election-related laws and for making the election code of conduct more objective and practical.

The commission drew the attention of the committee to the need of an effective mechanism for strict abidance with the election code of conduct during the silent period. Similarly, the EC suggested that it would be practical to make arrangements for counting votes at the polling station itself and making the election cost-effective. It also stressed the need to promote the notion that elections are won by values and principles and not by spending a lot of money.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 28, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.