The Election Commission is checking spending of the candidates of House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly to see if they breach the spending limit.
The EC has prepared a database to record their expenditures on a daily basis. The Nepal Police and the National Intelligence Department personnel check it and report to the EC.
“We will compare our record against the spending details submitted by individual candidates after the elections,” said Dinesh Thapaliya, the chief election commissioner. We will conduct an independent audit if candidates’ spending reports are found suspicious.”
The Commission has divided the election constituencies into five categories based on voter numbers, the area and the number of polling centres. The maximum amount a House candidate can spend is Rs. 3.3 million whereas Rs. 2.5 million is the minimum. Individual spending for the Provincial Assembly ranges from Rs. 1.5 million to Rs. 2.3 million.
If someone is found guilty of breaching the code of conduct, the Commission can terminate their election and even disqualify them from contesting in the future.
