KATHMANDU: The CPN-UML has raised concerns over whether the upcoming March 5 elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) will take place in a fear-free and fair environment.
Speaking at a discussion organized by the Election Commission (EC) on the election code of conduct on Friday, UML Secretary Dr. Rajan Bhattarai said that a conducive election environment has not yet been created. “The election environment has not been established. How prepared is the Election Commission to prevent money laundering and misuse of funds, as highlighted earlier?” he asked.
Dr. Bhattarai also questioned what steps the Election Commission is taking to ensure that the elections are conducted fairly and without fear. “It has not been guaranteed that candidates can confidently reach out to the public or campaign impartially in a fear-free environment,” he said.
He further urged the Election Commission to strengthen its monitoring system for enforcing the election code of conduct. Secretary Bhattarai noted that previous elections faced challenges due to ineffective implementation of the code.
“What is the Election Commission’s monitoring mechanism for the election code of conduct? The code has not been effective because the monitoring system itself is weak,” he said.
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