KATHMANDU, Nov 28: With the conclusion of the House of Representatives and provincial assembly elections, the candidates who ran in the elections have rushed to submit their expenditure details.
The Election Commission decided that the candidates who did not submit their expenditure details within the deadline of the local level elections held last May should be fined equal to the limit of their expenses.
The final voting results of the two constituencies in Nuwakot were announced this Saturday. On Sunday itself, seven candidates reached the election office to submit their election expenditure details. According to Jaya Prasad Gautam, Election Officer of the District Election Office, seven candidates submitted their expenditure details on the first day the office opened after the final vote results were announced. About a dozen have taken the forms.
EC asks candidates to submit their election expenditure details
Election candidates, including the candidates for the direct election system for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly, have personally reached the election office and submitted their expenditure details along with the necessary documents. Ram Prasad Dhungana, who was elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly from Provincial Constituency 2 (A), had to go to different wards of Bidur Municipality on Sunday to thank the voters.
Arjun Narsingh KC, elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Nuwakot-2, and Bahadur Singh Lama (Tamang) elected from provincial constituency 2(B) were supposed to participate in the victory rally, while the newly elected member Dhungana himself reached the election office with the receipts of election expenses to submit the expenses details.
"I have heard that local level candidates had to pay fines for not providing details of expenses on time,” he said, "After being elected, congratulations and thanks from the voters may be exchanged. However, according to the legal procedure, I am going to submit the specified expenses details on time.”
Although it is a busy time for the defeated candidates to go door-to-door to review the election and thank the winning voters, the Election Commission decided to fine the local level election candidates for not reporting the expenses details within time. As a result, the candidates of the latest general elections have rushed to submit their expenditure details.
Under the general election, Rs 3.1 million was set as the upper limit of expenses to be made for direct election to the House of Representatives in Constituency No. 1 of the district and Rs 2.9 million in Constituency No. 2. A legal provision was made such that direct candidates for the provincial assembly could spend up to Rs 1.7 million in each of the four constituencies in the district. The proportional candidate of the House of Representatives could spend up to 200,000 rupees each and the provincial candidate could spend up to Rs 1.50 million each.
There is also a legal provision that the candidates must submit their expenditure statements within one month from the date of the final result of the election. As soon as the election results were announced, the candidates of the district rushed to submit their expenditure details as soon as the election results were announced, as the candidates would have to pay a fine equal to the limit of the expenses that the candidates are allowed to spend.
