DHANGADI, MAY 20
The Election Commission has directed to stop the swearing-in of an elected local level chief in Kailali over a corruption case. Kailali's Chief Election Officer Jayananda Paneru has confirmed the halt of the formality in Mohanyal Rural Municipality owing to the EC's directive.
"CPN-MC's Devidatta Upadhyaya has been elected chairperson in Mohanyal Rural Municipality, but his swearing-in has now been stayed until further decision," Paneru said, adding the EC's direction had to do with a case sub-judice at the Special Court.
As per sources, a corruption case had been filed against Upadhyaya over irregularities during his tenure as ward chairperson for Mohanyal-2.
Similarly, a Nepali Congress candidate elected as ward chairperson has also had a corruption case against him not settled thus far. Nandaram Giri of Nepali Congress, elected as ward chairperson from Mohanyal-3, has a corruption case against him.
As confusion over the fate of the swearing-in ceremony as regards the corruption case-implicated elected local representatives emerged, the Election Commission sent its decision regarding Upadhyaya following the information from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority's confirming cases against him.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
