Those who are rich and powerful should not unduly influence polls
KATHMANDU, AUGUST 22
In an attempt to create level playing field in elections, the Election Commission has floated the idea of allowing only 25 people during political parties' door-to-door election campaign for provincial and parliamentary elections scheduled for November 20.
EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said the EC had floated the idea of having only 25 people during door-to-door campaigning, but political parties had not yet agreed to the EC proposal. Assistant Spokesperson for the EC Surya Prasad Aryal said the EC was trying to limit the number of people accompanying a candidate during campaigning, as it would control election expenses.
"Although parties and candidate don't give details of their expenditure during door-to door programmes, we have reasons to believe that they spend a lot. Candidates believe if they can gather a huge crowd, they can boost their chances of win. This rush makes elections expensive," Aryal said. He added that if the number of poll campaigners was limited, it could create not only a favourable situation for controlling election expenditure, but also create a level playing field among parties and candidates.
"The EC wants to ensure that deserving candidates win the election. Those who are rich and powerful should not unduly influence polls," Aryal said.
The EC will take a decision regarding numbers of campaigners soon and publish the rule in the Nepal gazette.
Some parties have told the EC not to put a cap on the number of people accompanying a poll campaign, saying their well wishers turn up during campaigning on their own volition and it would be difficult to tell them to go home.
"We want poll code that is implementable," Aryal said. During last local polls, the EC drew flak from civil society members and political parties for its 'impractical' poll code, including the ceiling of poll expenditure.
Nepali Congress Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said any such proposal defied reasoning.
Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal Spokesperson Manish Kumar Suman, however, said his party would welcome a cap on the number of campaigners in door-to-door canvassing.
Former CEC Neelkantha Uprety said the EC was right to limit poll expenditure. "But limiting the number of people who could join candidates' doorto-door canvassing will be difficult to implement," he said. He added that the EC did not have the infrastructure or the manpower to implement a ceiling on the number of supporters a candidate could flaunt during a poll campaign.
"Parties and candidates have a tendency to win elections by hook or by crook. That is the root cause of election anomalies," Uprety said, "The EC must also try to create a strong and effective monitoring mechanism across the country to ensure that those who flout election norms and rules are punished."
A version of this article appears in the print on August 23, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
