EC returning Rs 3 billion out of election budget

Kathmandu, Feb 3: The Election Commission (EC) has said of the total amount allocated for holding elections to the member of the House of Representatives and Province Assembly, around Rs three billion would be sent back to the State coffers.     

During a press briefing in regard to the review of the November 20 elections, Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said the Commission was much aware of the budget austerity and transparency during the election expenditures and so far it costs Rs 6.54 billion.     

It had received a budget of Rs 8.49 billion out of the allocations of Rs 10 billion. Similarly, some budget will be used in the elections of the President, Vice-President and the NA member by-elections and the remaining returned to State coffers.     

He took time to pledge legal amendments for providing temporary voting cards to government and private sector employees to ensure their election rights towards the proportional electoral system within the centres accessible for them in the next periodic elections. He was of the opinion of legally defining the matter of implementing the electrical voting system.     

Thapaliya also assured that the EC would assess the nature of invalid votes and the situation behind them and make voter education more effective in the days to come. He said if the date of elections of all levels or the term of people’s representatives are clearly specified in the law, there would be no questions while announcing the election dates.     

The Chief Election Commissioner further viewed that the Office of the Election is not legally allowed to disqualify any election candidate when the candidate self-announces that he/she holds all the documents demanded by the law towards that end. The court verdict in any issues should be acceptable for fall.     

Commission Secretary Gokarnami Duwadi praised the media role for making the elections successful, expecting its feedback for further reforms in the days ahead.     

Commission Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said this time the EC exercised one new practice in course of the implementation of the election code of conduct and election management. (RSS)