Feb 06, Kathmandu- The Election Commission has announced that it will oversee the expenses incurred by candidates on social media during the upcoming House of Representatives elections. As candidates and political parties increasingly utilize digital platforms for election campaigning, the commission has established mechanisms to monitor such activities.

In recent elections, the traditional method of distributing brochures and pamphlets has given way to paid advertisements on social media platforms. The commission clarified that expenditures made by candidates on social media will be monitored to ensure they stay within prescribed limits.

According to Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Deputy Secretary and spokesperson of the Election Commission, expenditure limits have been set based on the geographical significance of constituencies. The commission has differentiated the maximum allowable campaign expenses for districts considered accessible and those deemed remote.

Candidates in 65 constituencies can spend up to NPR 2.9 million. Similarly, candidates in 52 constituencies are permitted a maximum expenditure of NPR 3.1 million, while those in 26 constituencies can spend up to NPR 3.3 million. Candidates in 17 constituencies are allowed a maximum expenditure of NPR 2.7 million. In Kathmandu, candidates across five constituencies can spend up to NPR 2.5 million.

The commission has also mandated that political parties and candidates participating in the House of Representatives election must open and manage dedicated election campaign bank accounts, as per the Election Campaign Bank Account Management Procedures, 2082. The procedures received approval from the commission last Tuesday. The commission has issued directives to authorized banks and financial institutions to facilitate this process.

Parties and candidates must open these accounts with the approval of the commission’s secretariat or, in the case of candidates, through the respective district election offices. The commission emphasized the importance of linking election campaign expenses with banking systems in accordance with Section 50 of the Election Commission Act, 2073, to ensure transparency.

The commission has urged all stakeholders to actively cooperate and coordinate in integrating campaign expenses with the modern banking system. Campaign expenditure reports must be submitted to the election office within 35 days of the election result announcement.