Nepal Prepares for Upcoming March Elections with Strict Code of Conduct

The Election Commission of Nepal will enforce a code of conduct from January 17 in anticipation of the March 5 elections. Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari updated Prime Minister Sushila Karki on preparations. The Commission will monitor social media for misinformation and take legal action against violators.

Nepal's Election Commission has announced the enforcement of a stringent election code of conduct starting January 17, ahead of the March 5 polls. This decision, disclosed by Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, follows his meeting with Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

The commission, during a recent press conference, emphasized its commitment to monitor the dissemination of false, misleading, and negative information across social media platforms as the general election nears.

Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai revealed that the commission intends to actively identify and pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading misinformation, negative publicity, hate messages, deep fakes, false sites, or fake accounts. Additionally, correspondence with companies like Meta, TikTok, and X is underway, supported by new social media monitoring software.

(With inputs from agencies.)