EC Gives Three Days for Code Violators to Respond

The election commission has issued three-day ultimatum to election code of conduct violators to respond.

Among the 15 written clarifications sought by the commission as of Wednesday afternoon, it has only received responses from five candidates and political parties.

Assistant spokesperson at the commission Kul Bahadur GC said the number of reported cases is on the rise in the last few days.

According to GC the commission will give three days to every candidate or party violating the code of conduct to respond to the commission.

In case the candidates or the parties do not respond, they will get another chance for three days with a second letter.

Once the second three-day deadline expires, the commission says it will take unilateral action on the them based on the nature of violation.

While the commission says it has taken reflective rather than reactive approach on defaulters, it would only wait for three days on each case before unilaterally taking action.

The commission has been issuing 4-5 letters in average per day on code of conduct violation.
Among those sought clarification are political parties, candidates, common people and organizations on separate accounts.

Even on Wednesday, the commission issued around five clarification letters for code of conduct violation.

While the commission insists that the approach is more reflective than reactive when it comes code of conduct violation, concerns are rife what if the candidates and parties do not respond to the commission.

According to assistant spokesperson at the commission Kul Bahadur GC, the commission intends to aware the violators so that they do not repeat the same again.

The commission has the right to slap fine up to one hundred thousand and or even cancel the candidacy of the candidate concerned as per the code of conduct.

Amid rising concern among the general public that the commission has been overlooking cases of code of conduct violation, the commission has made it clear that the 3-day deadline for two occasions is the most it will wait.