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Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has informed that activities are underway in a planned manner to prevent possible misuse of technology in the upcoming elections. 

The elections to the House of Representatives are just a month away, March 5.

Addressing a program organized by the Election Commission to exchange memorandum of understanding with the representatives of TikTok on Wednesday, he mentioned that a historic agreement was signed and it would be instrumental in creating a clean digital atmosphere for HoR elections. 

Bhandari expressed the belief that the agreement would help to minimize violation of election code of conduct and curb spread of false information. 

He thanked TikTok for its free support to stop misuse of its tech platform that might take place during the elections. 

On the occasion, EC Joint-Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, and Head of Public Policy and Government Relations at TikTok, Ferdous Al Mottakin, exchanged the MoU. 

The EC believed that the initiative would help maintain impartiality of HoR elections. 

It would further contribute to EC's efforts to control misleading and harmful content that could affect the election, added EC.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has said that the upcoming election serves as an opportunity to further strengthen democratic practices in the country. 

Addressing the fifth anniversary of the Indigenous Nationalities Commission today, the Vice President was of the view that election provides citizens a vital platform to express and exercise their rights. 

He stated that through elections, Nepali citizens exercise their franchise and help determine state policies, emphasizing that such an opportunity should not be missed.

He added that elections help keep democracy alive by institutionalizing inclusive practices and strengthening the federal democratic system. According to him, the meaningful participation of all communities, including indigenous nationalities, is essential to ensure the success of the election.

Vice President Yadav also advised the Commission to take further initiatives to guarantee indigenous nationalities’ access to resources, ensure their participation at the policy-making level, and engage them in a just development process. 

He stressed that the relevance of inclusive democracy can only be proven when every citizen feels dignity in their self-identity and enjoys guaranteed rights.

He further said that constitutional bodies like the Commission have a significant role to play in building an equitable society..

The Nepal Army personnel will be mobilized from today to ensure free, fair, and fearless elections to the House of Representatives (HoR).

Security personnel from the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and the National Investigation Department are being mobilized under the coordination of the Nepal Army for the elections scheduled for March 5. 

Army personnel will be deployed across all 165 constituencies nationwide.

On November 27, President Ram Chandra Paudel on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and decision of the council of ministers, approved the mobilization of Nepal Army for the elections. 

As part of its election security responsibilities, the Nepal Army will oversee critical tasks, including printing and transportation of ballot papers, security at polling stations,  transportation of ballot boxes, and protection of vote-counting centers.

The closed list submitted by political parties for the proportional representation (PR) system of the elections to the House of Representatives includes more women than men candidates.

According to the details made public by the Election Commission, of the total 3,135 candidates there are 1,772 women in the final candidates for the PR system. Similarly, there are 1,363 men, with 63 political parties represented. 

The Commission has published the final list on Tuesday in accordance with Section 29 of the Election Act for Members of the House of Representatives, 2074 BS and Rule 16 (2) of the Election Regulations under the Act.

Meanwhile, the names of 76 candidates from the closed list were removed after they were deemed illegal by the Commission, citing various reasons. 

Those included 21 candidates who were blacklisted by the Credit Information Center and 25 people who were on the closed list for the proportional electoral system of the Provincial Assembly.

Similarly, the commission had also removed 10 people who had not paid the prescribed fine and one person who was not in the voter list of a backward region as represented in the closed list. Another, 10 the names were removed as communicated by the concerned political parties to remove them.