KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has stated that of the 3,406 candidates who filed nominations for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5, only 1,670 have opened bank accounts for election campaigning.
Similarly, only 11 out of the 65 political parties participating in the election have opened designated bank accounts so far. According to Assistant Spokesperson Sita Pun Shree, the parties that have opened accounts include the Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janamorcha, CPN-Unified, Nepali Communist Party, Nepali Party for Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party, Samyukta Nagarik Party, Miteri Party, Nepal Janata Sancharak Party, Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party and Rastriya Janamukti Party.
The Commission has made it mandatory to open separate bank accounts to ensure transparency in financial assistance received by political parties and candidates, to comply with expenditure limits set by election laws, and to facilitate effective monitoring.
According to the House of Representatives Election Campaign Bank Account (Operation and Management) Procedure, 2082, all political parties, party candidates, and independent candidates registered with the Commission for participation in the election, whether under the proportional representation or first-past-the-post system, are required to open a dedicated election campaign bank account.
They have also been instructed to carry out all income and expenditure transactions related to the election through the same account.
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