Kathmandu, November 23

The Election Commission has decided not to let the Ministry of Home Affairs transfer six gazetted second class officers, including three chief district officers.

The MoHA had transferred Bhojpur CDO Fadindra Dahal, Solukhumbu CDO Sunil Khanal and Nuwakot CDO Birendra Kumar Yadav on Monday.

Issuing a press release today, EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said transferring government employees

without EC’s prior consent was against the election code of conduct. The poll panel had enforced the code of conduct for provincial and parliamentary elections on August 30.

The EC said the MoHA had sought its permission to transfer the employees only after transferring them. Dhakal said the EC had also directed the MoHA to submit original files of their transfers within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the EC reminded the parties that today was the last day of campaigning for the first phase of polls and the silence period would commence after midnight in all the 37 constituencies of 32 districts that go to polls on November 26.

The poll panel stated that the Election Code of Conduct 2015 (third amendment) barred political parties

and candidates, office bearers of political parties, civil society, voters and media from campaigning or soliciting votes during the silence period.

Likewise, keeping election symbols and election campaign materials within a radius of 300 metres of polling centres and campaigning via social network or through SMS and other messaging services, such as Facebook, viber and whatsapp was also against the code of conduct. The silence period begins 48 hours before the voting day.

The EC also cautioned the mass media against publishing poll related materials of the 45 districts that go to polls on December 7, as it could influence voters of the districts.