EC issues strong warning: election spending must go through bank accounts

Kathmandu — Political parties and candidates have been warned by the Election Commission that election-related expenses for the House of Representatives election scheduled on Falgun 21 must be conducted through bank accounts, or action will be taken for violating the Election Code of Conduct.

It has been stated by the Commission that parties or candidates who spend funds without opening a bank account or who open an account but continue to make expenditures outside formal banking channels will be penalized in accordance with prevailing provisions.

Political parties have been directed to ensure that all election spending is carried out only through bank transactions, according to Election Commission Information Officer Suman Ghimire. He has said that action will be taken under the Election Code of Conduct if the commission’s provisions are breached.

As informed by Ghimire, bank accounts have so far been brought into operation by nine political parties and 1,389 candidates. The parties include the Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Communist Party (Unified), Communist Party of Nepal (NCP), Nepali Party for Nepal, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), United Citizens Party, Miteri Party, and Nepal Janata Protection Party.

However, bank accounts have not yet been operationalized by major parties, including CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), it has been stated by the Commission.

It has further been stated by Ghimire that any amount exceeding NPR 25,000 must be received mandatorily through a bank account. Clause 16 of the Election Code of Conduct issued for the House of Representatives election has been cited as clearly outlining election expense rules, under which candidates are required to disclose their estimated spending and funding sources at the time of nomination.

Under the code, a separate bank account must be opened for election expenses, an authorized official must be appointed to operate the account, and all bills and receipts of income and expenditure must be preserved. The measures have been described by the Commission as having been introduced to strengthen transparency and improve the effectiveness of the electoral process.