Frequent transfer of secys after poll code comes into effect gives a bad message

• Nilkantha Upreti, former CEC

Kathmandu, September 4

The government has transferred two secretaries of the Election Commission in five days after the poll panel enforced election code of conduct on Wednesday.

According to the election code enforced for the provincial and parliamentary elections slated for November 26 and December 7, the government can’t appoint, promote, transfer or depute any of its employees, including civil servants and security personnel, except on poll-related duties.

Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, however, transferred EC Secretary Maheshwor Neupane to Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation on Thursday, replacing him with Secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari, who was serving at the MoCTCA; the OPMCM today transferred Secretary Adhikari to OPMCM replacing him with Secretary Begendra Sharma from the Constituency Delimitation Commission.

Earlier on June 22, the government had transferred EC Secretary Gopinath Mainali to OPMCM on the request of the EC. The poll panel was then criticised for transferring EC secretary just a few days before the second phase of local level elections. Mainali had alleged that he was transferred, as he did not agree to purchase luxury cars for EC commissioners.

On Friday, the EC also directed the government to cancel transfer of over 400 employees to the Ministry of General Administration, which was done on back date.

Chief Secretary Rajendra Kishor Chhetri told The Himalayan Times that transfer of EC secretaries was a regular process and the government had taken the consent of the poll panel for the same. “There is no special reason for transfers. Secretaries had been transferred frequently in the past as well,” said Chief Secretary Chhetri.

He said Adhikari was the senior-most secretary and his expertise was needed in the OPMCM. “In the past, newly promoted secretaries used to be deputed to the OPMCM but senior-most secretaries work in the PM’s office all over the world. So we decided to change the trend,” added Chhetri.

EC Spokesperson Nabaraj Dhakal said the government had taken the consent of the EC before transferring secretaries. “The government could transfer any of its employees with the EC’s consent,” said Dhakal.

Former Chief Election Commissioner Nilkantha Upreti said the OPMCM could not even transfer a peon without the EC’s consent after the election code of conduct came into effect. He said the secretaries could not have been transferred without the EC’s consent or on its request.

“Frequent transfer of EC secretaries after the code of conduct comes into effect does not give a good message,” said Upreti. He said the poll panel had no moral authority to prevent transfer of employees in other government departments, when it transfers its own secretaries frequently.