Kathmandu, June 17

The Election Commission today wrote  letters to major political parties  urging them to refrain from using children for election campaigning.

The EC issued a press release saying it wrote letters to the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Prajatantra Party,  Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Nepal Democratic Forum urging them not to use children for election campaigning.

Referring to the misuse of children in the first phase of local level elections, the poll panel said that it had received reports of  children being used in  political activities in various parts of the country by political parties and their sister organisations. The EC said it was committed to ensuring full compliance with the election code of conduct.

“Considering the fact that obeying the election code is a must to hold elections in free and fair manner, the central office of political parties, their district committees and sister organisations are requested not to include children in their political activities and to fully abide by the election code of conduct.”

The EC has also directed District Election Office, Bajura, to investigate reports of  children being used  in  political activities and to prevent such code of conduct violations in the district.