Parties not allowed to revise PR list for their convenience: EC

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has stated that political parties are not allowed to revise the closed lists of candidates under the proportional representation (PR) system for the House of Representatives elections according to their convenience.

Speaking at an interaction in Kathmandu on Friday, EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai clarified that parties can submit the name of an alternative candidate only in cases where the required cluster or representation criteria are not met, or if a candidate withdraws their name.

The EC’s remark has come at a time when party leaders are saying that they would revise their PR lists to address internal dissatisfaction over candidate selection.

Meanwhile, the EC has stated that it has already completed key tasks for the elections scheduled for March 5, including the endorsement of the election code of conduct, collection of closed lists, determination of election expenditure limits, and preparation of a concept for voter education.

Bhattarai added that around 40 million ballot papers will be printed for both first-past-the-post and proportional representation elections. “Ballot papers are planned to be dispatched to the concerned districts by February 22,” he added.

Stating that expenditure limits have been set for election campaigning, Bhattarai said candidates and political parties are allowed to spend through designated bank accounts.

According to Bhattarai, political parties and candidates must submit details of their election expenses to the respective provincial and district election offices within 35 days of the announcement of the final election results.