NHRC urges all parties to play a constructive role in conducting elections in a free and fair environment

Published On: November 19, 2022 02:50 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Nov 19: A High Level Monitoring team of National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has monitored the pre-voting human rights situation in 67 districts of seven provinces.

According to the facts and information received in the course of monitoring, three people were injured in the explosion of bombs in Nepalgunj of Banke and Bhojpur districts and one person was seriously injured in a clash between the cadres of ruling alliance and CPN-UML in Naugad Rural Municipality of Darchula. Similarly, vehicles of independent candidates and Nepali Congress candidates were vandalized in Bharatpur of Chitwan.

The NHRC also said it received 165 reports that candidates of major parties used children in election activities in 72 districts including Dang, Pyuthan, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Ramechhap, Doti and Kathmandu. It has also been found that social media sites such as TikTok were used as a tool to spread propaganda. A number of prisoners are not able to vote as their names are not in the voters’ list.

The activists of various anti-election groups were found to be holding meetings and programs in the districts of Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa and Salyan, while exerting pressure on locals not to cast votes.

NHRC has urged political parties and their sister organizations, the government, civil society, observers and media persons to play in order to hold elections in a fear-free environment while appreciating the rights of the voters. The EC has urged all political parties to strictly follow the election code of conduct. The EC also has specifically requested the groups that disagreed with the election not to engage in anti-election and violent activities.

Meanwhile, NHRC has positively taken the vigilance shown by the EC to regulate and control the issues of violation of election code of conduct such as election propaganda and use of children. Ten monitoring teams led by the NHRC Chairman, members, secretaries, joint secretaries, former officials of the NHRC will monitor the human rights situation in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kavre, Nuwakot, Dhading districts on the election day of November 20.