As Nepal gears up for its March 5 elections, political tensions are simmering high. The country’s Election Commission has come under fire from the Election Observation Committee (NEOC) for failing to act on code of conduct violations. In a scathing report released after nearly a month of the code’s enforcement, NEOC has warned of legal action if the commission doesn’t step up.
The code was rolled out on January 19 following extensive consultations with political parties and public input. Since then, hundreds of complaints have flooded in, with the commission issuing explanations in 79 cases but taking no concrete steps. This, according to NEOC, is unacceptable.
Kathmandu Post reports that the commission sent 79 letters demanding clarifications from individuals and institutions, including repeat notices to nine entities accused multiple times. A glaring example is Rashtriya Swatantra Party candidate Ashika Tamang from Dhading-1, summoned twice—first for campaigning in a school, then for allegedly using schoolchildren in her rallies. Both her responses were deemed unsatisfactory, yet no penalties followed.
NEOC Chairman Gopal Krishna Siwakoti slammed the commission, noting that violations have merely shifted from physical events to social media, which he called even more dangerous. ‘Taking action after the damage is done is pointless,’ he said, urging immediate punitive measures in key cases.
Echoing this, NEOC head Krishna Subedi warned that inaction on code breaches can’t be excused by fewer incidents. The committee is giving the commission a short window to act, threatening Supreme Court intervention if it fails its duty.
With elections just weeks away, this standoff raises serious questions about the integrity of Nepal’s electoral process. Will the commission clamp down, or will observers drag the matter to court? The coming days will be crucial as political campaigns intensify and scrutiny mounts.