KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Parliament on Wednesday endorsed two election-related bills -- the Bill Designed to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Work, Duties and Responsibilities of the Election Commission-2016 and the Bill Designed to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Voters List-2017.
The passage of the bills paves the way for the government to announce date for fresh election as per the new constitution. The Bill Designed to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Work, Duties and Responsibilities of the Election Commission-2016 gives mandate to the government to declare election date in consultation with the Election Commission.
Parliament passes only 12 bills so far
The Election Commission bill endorsed on Wednesday makes it mandatory for political parties and candidates contesting in the election to furnish details of their expenditures within 35 days of the announcement of the final results. Likewise, the bill allows the Election Commission to suspend a political party or a candidate from participating in the election for a maximum of six years if the party or candidate is found to have exceeded the election expenditure ceiling determined by the Election Commission.
The bill also consists of a provision to scrap the position of a candidate, who is found exceeding expenditure ceiling.
Likewise, Bill Designed to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to the Voters List-2017, among other things, makes it mandatory for a voter to have voter's identity card to cast the vote in the election.
