Nepal Election Commission under fire for inaction on code violations

• Nepal's Election Commission faces criticism for failing to act on hundreds of code of conduct complaints despite issuing 79 clarification notices.
• Despite repeated violations by candidates like Ashika Tamang and Shakti Bahadur Basnet, no penalties have been imposed 35 days into the code's enforcement.
• The commission has powers to fine up to NPR 100,000, cancel candidacies, or bar violators for six years, and the Children's Act prohibits using minors in campaigns.
• Many political parties, including Nepali Congress and CPN (UML), missed manifesto deadlines, and most candidates failed to open dedicated bank accounts for campaign finances.
• Election observers criticize the commission's inaction, warning of potential Supreme Court intervention if punitive measures are not taken before the March 5 polls.