Supreme Court rejects petition demanding only female candidate for vice-president
KATHMANDU, MARCH 14
The Election Commission has announced that the silence period disallowing campaigning for the post of vice-president will be enforced from 12:00 midnight today. The election is scheduled for March 17.
Prohibition period came into effect 48 hours before polling day, that is, today, March 14, from 12:00 pm until the polling stations are closed.
The Election Commission issued the Election Code of Conduct, 2019, which would be in effect from 14 March to 19 March, using the provision in Section 22 of the Election Commission Act, 2017.
According to the code of conduct, the silence period will be applied to conduct elections in a clean, free, fair, reliable, transparent and fear-free environment, according to the statement issued by the Spokesperson for the Election commission, Shaligram Sharma Paudel.
According to Section 24, clause 5 of the Election (Offences and Punishment) Act, 2017 and Section 17 of the Election Code of Conduct, 2019, any kind of discussion, interaction, meeting, conference, workshop, symposium, etc., including election campaigning, is strictly prohibited during the silence period.
In addition, any kind of propaganda in favour or against a candidate, asking for votes, soliciting votes through electronic media such as SMS, Facebook, Viber, making statements contrary to the code of conduct, issuing press releases, publishing and broadcasting, and spreading materials of victory/loss predictions through the media is not allowed.
Meanwhile, the petition submitted to the Supreme Court with the demand that a woman should be made the vice-president was rejected today.
Advocate Radhika Khatiwada had filed a petition in the court yesterday with the demand that after a man was elected president, a woman should be the vice-president.
After studying the writ, the Supreme Court informed that the order of the registrar had been revoked.
"Due to lack of clear provision in the law the petition has been revoked."
Spokesperson for the Supreme Court Bimal Paudel told THT.
Earlier on Sunday, the Office of the Election Officer of the president and vice-president had confirmed the candidacy of vice-presidential candidate Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav for the post on behalf of the 10 party alliance.
Election Officer Mahesh Sharma Paudel said as there was no mandatory or binding arrangement that the president and vice-president should be of different genders and communities, his candidacy would also be maintained. Yadav's candidacy was opposed by CPN-UML and Janmat Party.
Astalakshmi Shakya (Bohara), Pramila Kumari Yadav, Mamta Jha and Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav were the candidates whose nomination papers were registered.
Pramila Kumari Yadav later withdrew her candidacy in support of JSP-N lawmaker Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
