EC allows chartered planes, helicopters in 11 districts

KATHMANDU, JUL 11 -
The election code of conduct endorsed by the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday has allowed political parties to charter helicopters and airplanes in 11 remote and mountainous districts for their election campaign.

The 11 districts are Solukhumbu, Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Kalikot, Bajhang, Bajura and Jajarkot.

“Some districts lack roads, while sometimes voters, too, need air services in these districts,” Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav, who also heads the EC’s Code of Conduct Committee, said.

Political parties will now have to depend on road networks for their campaign in the remaining 64 districts.

Major political parties, mainly the UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based parties, had opposed the EC’s proposal to ban altogether the use of helicopters and airplanes for campaigning for the Constituent Assembly election s scheduled for November 19.

The code, however, says a candidate’s total expenditure for the campaign, including the hiring of helicopters and planes, should not exceed Rs 1 million. According to the code, a candidate under the First-Past-the-Post electoral system is allowed to spend a maximum of Rs 1 million, while a candidate contesting under the proportional electoral system can spend Rs 75,000 only.

According to Yadav, the code of conduct will be effective from July 22. After that, the government will be barred from appointing, promoting and transferring government officials without the consent of the Election Commission.

The EC has banned wall-chalking, the use of banners, face

painting and loudspeakers during the poll campaign. Parties are allowed to design only monochrome posters, not exceeding 180 square inches in size, while it has barred them from resorting to ‘insulting language, character assassination and intimidation’ during mass meetings.

Any party or candidate violating the rules will be fined Rs 100,000, while they may also be disqualified or barred from contesting in the next election s.

The EC has, however, done away with the provision of political parties requiring to furnish bank vouchers for donations exceeding Rs 25,000. EC officials said they could not enforce this provision after parties removed it from the CA Member Act. “Although we had proposed this provision, the government removed it before promulgating the election act,” Election Commissioner Yadav said.

As the private sector demanded an end to ‘forced donations’ by making public the source of parties’ income, all major political parties were against the provision of disclosing the sources of the funds.

Meanwhile, a board meeting of the Peace Fund Secretariat under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction approved the EC’s proposal to spend Rs 7.25 billion for the election s.

Asked to comment on the code of conduct, UCPN (Maoist) leader Khimlal Devkota said, “I don’t want to say anything without first going through the document. However, I wish the EC the very best when it comes to implementing the code.”

The poll code of conduct is final

•    Chartered planes will fly in Solukhumbu, Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, Humla, Jumla, Mugu, Kalikot, Bajhang, Bajura and Jajarkot

•    Code to be effective on July 22

•    Govt will then be barred from appointing, promoting and transferring officials without the EC’s consent

•    EC does away with provision requiring parties to furnish bank vouchers for donations exceeding Rs 25,000

•    Peace Fund Secretariat approves EC’s proposal to spend Rs 7.25 billion for the Nov polls

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