July 3, Rolpa. Most of the ROLPA candidates who participated in the local level member elections held on 30 Baisakh did not submit their expenditure statements within the specified time. Although there is a provision to submit a comprehensive statement of election expenditure within 30 days of the declaration of the poll results, most of the ROLPA public representatives have ignored this provision.
According to the District Election Office ROLPA, out of 1,233 candidates at 10 local levels in the district, only 574 have submitted their election expenditure details.
Rolpa Municipality, the only municipality in the district, has 5 nominations for mayor and 4 for deputy mayor, and four people from both the posts have submitted their expenditure statements. All candidates for Deputy Mayor have submitted their Expenditure Statement, but 1 candidate for Mayor has not submitted their Expenditure Statement.
Similarly, out of 36 nominations for 9 Rural Municipality Presidents, only 13 have submitted their expenditure statements. District Election Office Rolpa has informed that there are 33 people in the election of Vice President, but only 9 have declared their expenses. 23 candidates for the post of President and 24 for the post of Vice President have not submitted their expenditure details.
Of the 247 candidates contesting for 72 ward presidents, only 70 have submitted their expenditure details. There are 177 candidates who did not submit their expenditure statement after contesting for the post of Ward President.
Of the 441 competing for the post of 144 ward members, only 125 have submitted their expenditure statements. 316 people who contested for ward membership have not furnished details of their expenditure.
63 out of 212 contesting elections for 72 women member posts and 55 out of 187 for 72 Dalit women ward members have submitted their expenditure details. Among women members, 149 candidates of Dalit women ward members and 132 candidates have not furnished details of their expenditure.
Rolpa had 3 Dalit women members unopposed at three different local levels. Out of the 69 executive members nominated from all the local levels of the district, only 7 people have submitted the expenditure statement.
If the election expenditure details are not given within the stipulated time, the Election Commission will take action as per the law.
In the local level election, all the candidates of Pramukh, Deputy Chief, President, Vice President, Ward President and candidates of members and executive members will have to submit their bills in the format prescribed by the Election Commission. Lovelight Wali, Information Officer, District Election Office Rolpa said, “There is a provision to submit the details of expenditure to the District Election Office through the candidate himself or through a representative.
According to the election code of conduct 2078, the expenditure limit of the candidate has been fixed. Wali said the system refused to accept certain expenses that exceeded the set limit that way.