The four election commissioners are the members of the high-level committee, which will come into effect from Sunday. [break]
The constitutional body on Saturday also authorized four election commissioners to take action on the spot against those found guilty of breaching the election code of conduct.
“The high-level committee will be responsible for taking decision on incidents of the election code of conduct about which the four election commissioners cannot take necessary decision on their own,” Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety told Republica on Saturday.
As per the EC´s decision, Election Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung has been authorized to oversee violation of the poll code in the Western Development Region, Ila Sharma in the Central Development Region, Ram Bhakta PB Thakur in Mid-western and Far-western Regions and Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav will be responsible for looking into incidents of the election code of conduct violation in the Eastern Development Region.
“The team of commissioners derives authority from clause 7 of the Election Commission Act, 2007 to take action on the spot against any breach of the election code of conduct ,” said Uprety, “The chief commissioner as chairman can take action just like the other commissioners and he also chairs the committee if the team is unable to resolve some issues at different levels.”
EC to enhance implementation of poll code
The commission on Saturday decided to enhance the implementation of the election code of conduct.
According to Election Commissioner Sharma, the commission decided to instruct chief district officers (CDOs) and district police chiefs through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to coordinate with chief returning officers and returning officers for effective implementation of the election code of conduct.
“The EC decided to instruct them [CDOs and district police chiefs] to stop anyone on the verge of breaching the code of conduct and take corrective measures if someone is found acting against the poll code,” Sharma told Republica, “Then take action against the offenders as per instruction from chief returning officers and returning officers.”
The commission´s decision comes at a time when there are media reports on rampant violation of election code of conduct even by top leaders of several political parties.
The EC has already asked former deputy prime minister and chairman of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar to furnish clarification over his alleged breach of the election code.
He was found using huge number of vehicles in his home town of Biratnagar during electoral campaigning.
The election code of conduct bars a candidate from using more than two vehicles during electoral campaign.
As per the election code of conduct, any candidate who is found breaching the election code of conduct can be fined maximum Rs 100,000 and the EC can annul their candidacy and can disqualify them from contesting polls for six years.
Meanwhile, the EC on Saturday directed the UCPN (Maoist) to remove posters of the party´s chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and the party´s candidate of constituency number 1 of Kathmandu Renu Dahal from New Baneshwar. Renu is the daughter of the UCPN (Maoist) chairman.
According to EC officials, the party removed the posters on Saturday itself following instruction by the commission.
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