Kathmandu, June 25: Experts, academicians and lawmakers today stressed on political culture and a powerful Election Commission to reform the electoral process.
“The electoral process will not improve unless the political parties are honest and accountable,” Chief Election Commissioner Bishnu Pratap Shah told an interaction programme on Electoral Reform here this morning.
“The political parties should abide by the code of conduct and give tickets to the popular leaders to reduce the use of money and muscles.”
Electoral reform involves legal, political and administrative aspects, Shah said. “EC alone can do little with the existing administrative and financial status.”
“The major challenge facing the electoral reform is the persistence of party-less behaviour in the multiparty system,” Co-ordinator of the Election Management Reform Recommendation Sub-committee Ishwor Pokharel said.
The sub-committee is a part of the high level Election Reform Committee headed by the Prime Minister constituted last year to review the past elections with a view to reform the electoral process.
Pokharel called for legal initiatives to discipline the political parties and candidates in matters of election expenditure ceiling, and regulate the voters’ list and identity card distribution. “Besides, there is a need to rethink about the Constituency determination process that is gradually cutting the Constituencies in the hilly districts.”
Pokharel also stressed the need to strengthen the EC. “The government should assist the EC to extend its network to the grassroots.”
Co-ordinator of Election Laws Reform Sub-committee Krishna Prasad Sitaula blamed the political parties for electoral irregularities. He said that the government forge a consensus among the political parties to make citizenship certificate the base of voters’ identity card.
Election Commissioner Professor Birendra Prasad Mishra suggested a two-pronged approach of legal reform and political culture to improve the electoral process.
Human Rights Commission Member Kapil Shrestha said stressed on political commitment and honesty for electoral reform. “Civil society and the voters should be equally pro-active.”
Electoral reform is an ongoing process, Chairman of parliamentary State Management Committee Homnath Dahal said and called for concerted efforts on part of the government, political parties and the EC to address the problems related to elections.
Participated in by academicians, lawmakers, EC officials, non-governmental organisation representatives and others, the interaction was organised by the Society for Constitutional and Parliamentary Exercises with the support of National Democratic Institution.
Welcoming the participants, SCOPE President Purna Man Shakya earlier called for concerted efforts on part of all to reform electoral process as it was the foundation of the democratic system.