Election Commission Releases Code of Conduct

Nepal’s Election Commission has released a draft code of conduct for the upcoming parliamentary elections and is now seeking public and political feedback.

The draft introduces stricter rules on transparency, requiring candidates to submit detailed asset declarations at the time of filing their nomination papers.

Although public officials are already required to disclose their assets, many ministers have long failed to do so within the legal timeframe.

Under the new proposal, candidates’ asset declarations will remain confidential until election results are finalized, and may be made public only with the consent of the winning candidate.

The draft also bans the use of government institutions for campaign events, and prohibits distributing or wearing clothing or accessories displaying party symbols. The Commission has sent the draft to political parties and published it online. According to the newly issued timeline, nominations will be filed on January 24, and voting will take place on March 5 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.