The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday put an expenditure cap for candidates of local level elections set for May 14. 

According to the EC, a can candidate can spend between Rs 150,000 and Rs 750,000 for poll preparations depending on the post s/he is running for. A candidate vying for the posts of chief and deputy chief of a metropolis can spend up to Rs 750,000. For those running for ward chair or a ward member or woman, Dalit or member from minority community can spend up to Rs 300,000, Rs 250,000, Rs 200,000 and Rs 150,000 respectively.

The expenditure cap for a candidate running for the posts of chief and deputy chief for District Coordination Committee—where no direct election takes place—has been fixed at Rs 250,000. The expenditure limit fixed for the candidate in category of women, Dalit and minority community under this local structure is Rs 150,000.  

Once the candidates are nominated on April 29, they will have to follow the EC’s instructions on expenditure limit, according to the poll body. 

“We urge all the stakeholders including media to be vigilant whether candidates are following the election code of conduct as well as expenditure cap,” said EC Spokesperson Surya Sharma.

As per the election code of conduct, political parties or candidates will have to furnish details of their expenditure to the District Election Office within a certain time frame and in the prescribed format.

According to the EC, the expenditure limit has been set on the basis of four parameters—inflation, standards maintained for local elections in 1997 and 2006 local polls, wider constituencies as a result of local level restructuring and population size. 

The 2006 local elections called by then king Gyanendra Shah when he had seized absolute power, however, were a failure. 

‘Send officials to local units’

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday instructed the government to complete assigning necessary staffers at newly formed 744 local units within March 16.  

The election body instructed the government to appoint chief executives in all the local units at the earliest before EC mobilises its staff. While mobilising officials at local units, the EC has said, the government must prioritise those government staffers who are from the related service or group. (PR)