Kathmandu, January 19
The Election Code of Conduct has come into effect from today in preparation for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.
The Election Commission said the Code of Conduct, 2082, has been approved and enforced to ensure that the election is conducted in a clean, free, fair, transparent and fear-free environment. The code has already been published in the Nepal Gazette.
According to the commission, the code of conduct will remain applicable to various bodies and individuals until further notice is issued by the Election Commission.
The code applies to the Government of Nepal and its ministers, provincial governments and their ministers, constitutional bodies and their office-bearers, as well as offices and officials under the federal and provincial governments.
Who else does the code apply to?
The code of conduct also applies to local executives and their members, employees of the federal, provincial and local levels, security agencies, security personnel and staff, offices and employees of government, semi-government and public institutions, and political parties and their sister organisations.
Similarly, candidates and related persons, election representatives of political parties and candidates, polling and vote-counting representatives, holders of public office, and officials and monitors of monitoring committees are also subject to the code.
Observer organisations and observers, media houses and their employees and journalists, private and non-governmental organisations and their officials and staff, as well as schools, colleges and universities, including their teachers and employees, fall within the scope of the code of conduct.
Voters, development partner organisations, projects operated by government and semi-government bodies and their staff, and organisations conducting voter education programmes along with their employees, are also fully covered by the code of conduct.
