Nepali Congress Tightens Election Preparations with Internal Directives
Kathmandu, Nepal – As Nepal gears up for the upcoming March 5 general election, the Nepali Congress party has taken a significant step by formally endorsing an election mobilisation directive. This move aims to bolster poll preparations and ensure a focused campaign effort from its members. In contrast, other major political parties are currently relying on the Election Commission’s established code of conduct, with some indicating they may introduce similar internal guidelines.
The Nepali Congress Central Working Committee approved the election mobilisation directive during a virtual meeting held on Sunday. The directive outlines specific instructions for party leaders and members, urging them to concentrate their efforts within their designated areas of operation.
A key component of this directive is Clause 21, which introduces a campaign commitment titled “My 21 days for the March 5 general election.” Under this initiative, party members are expected to be actively involved in canvassing for votes from February 13 through to March 5. The guiding principle for this engagement is to “Serve where you are assigned.”
Furthermore, the directive mandates that representatives assigned to federal, provincial, district, and House of Representatives constituency levels must return to their respective districts, constituencies, municipalities, and wards once their official duties are completed. Upon their return, they are expected to dedicate their focus to local campaigning efforts.
With the exception of individuals formally assigned to duties elsewhere, all party office bearers and members, regardless of their organisational level, have been instructed to direct their campaign activities within their immediate geographical areas. The directive explicitly states: “An active member of one ward should not move to another ward; instead, they should work in their own ward with the slogan ‘Our ward, our victory.’” This principle is also expected to be adhered to by members of the party’s affiliated sister organisations and well-wisher groups.
Dinesh Thapa Magar, a member of the Congress central office, noted that the issuance of such detailed election mobilisation directives by a political party is an unprecedented step. He added that any violation of these directives by party candidates during their campaigns would be subject to disciplinary action by the party’s disciplinary committee.
However, the effectiveness of such internal directives and even the Election Commission’s code of conduct has been questioned. Bikal Shrestha of the National Election Observation Committee commented that the implementation of election codes and party directives often falls short. While political parties do not necessarily disregard these guidelines entirely, instances of breaches are frequently observed. “As observers, we keep monitoring the election and have found that political parties breach such codes most of the time,” Shrestha stated.
Despite these observations, the Nepali Congress, through its directive, has emphasized three core principles for the upcoming election. The party stresses that the electoral process should be viewed not as a conflict but as a significant democratic exercise focused on the exchange of ideas and leadership.
The Nepali Congress has committed to maintaining a policy of fair and constructive discourse regarding rival parties and their candidates. Its candidates and campaigners have been explicitly instructed to avoid making hateful, provocative, or inflammatory statements.
Alternative Approaches from Other Parties
In contrast to the Nepali Congress’s detailed directive, the CPN-UML party has indicated it will not be issuing separate internal election directives. Min Bahadur Shahi, head of the UML publicity department, stated, “Our party candidates will follow the code of conduct [enforced by the Election Commission].”
Pushpa Bhusal, a Vice-president of the Nepali Congress, clarified the distinction between the Election Commission’s code of conduct and the party’s campaign directives. She explained that while the Election Commission’s code is binding on all political parties and candidates, it does not extend to the regulation of various internal campaign committees and cadres that parties establish. The Nepali Congress’s directives, therefore, serve as a mechanism to monitor and guide these internal party structures during the campaign period.
The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has also opted not to issue specific election directives for its candidates. Instead, the party relies on its existing intra-party directives to guide their electoral conduct.
Agni Prasad Sapkota, a party spokesperson, highlighted the NCP’s primary objective for the election: “During this election our main objective is to maintain economic transparency.” He elaborated that economic transparency is a fundamental aspect of good governance that party candidates are expected to uphold. The party’s core directive, he added, is to “make no big promises but stick to workable policies.”
The differing approaches to campaign management and conduct underscore the varied strategies political parties are employing as they prepare for the crucial March 5 elections. While some are opting for stringent internal guidelines, others are placing their trust in existing regulatory frameworks and internal party discipline.
