Experts suggest determining basis for principles and rules of election

Kathmandu / Dec 14: Experts taking part in a workshop on Election Related Laws: International Principles and Best Practices for Members of Parliamentary State Affairs Committee here Wednesday suggested the members that they moved ahead by determining basis of principles and rules relating to the election.

The workshop organized by the State Affairs Committee under the Legislature-Parliament in association with the USAID, National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) also seeks to hold deliberations on the various new election-related bills for increasing its relevance and acceptability among all political parties.

Of the nine election-related bills, bill related to political parties, voters list and the Election Commission are currently under discussion in the Committee.

The new constitution mandates that the election in all three levels should be held by mid-February 2018.

The bill to amend and integrate laws related to political parties aims to facilitate the electoral process, and educate, inspect, regulate as well as enable equal opportunities to all political parties taking part in elections.

Speakers at the workshop underscored the need of incorporating democratic system, inclusiveness and accountability in the election-related bills that are in the offing and under the deliberation.

Special Advisor to the Oslo Center, Bjarte Tora, stated that although legal regulation of the political parties has been put in place, there were differing legal traditions and constitutional provisions among the countries.

Similarly, Katherine Ellena, Senior Legal Advisor at IFES shared that the regulation of the election management bodies and election dispute resolution would be held based on the ideologies focused on independence, impartiality, integrity, transparency, effectiveness, professionalism and services.

Likewise, Dr Magnus Ohman of the IFES mentioned that some two third of the countries across the world have been following the practice wherein the State allocated the resources, including fund, to the political parties as per the votes garnered by them.

He also underscored incorporation of the provision in the new bills by which those political parties failing to submit the expenditure of elections shall be brought to the book.

Dil Bahadur Gharti, Committee Chair and Dr Bharat Raj Gautam, Committee Secretary, expressed their confidence that the recommendations furnished by the various national and international experts on the election-related laws would be significant to bring timely change in the election related laws in the country. RSS