The Election Commission (EC) has expressed grave concern over violation of the Election Code of Conduct by political parties and their candidates. 

On Saturday, the election body instructed its officials involved in the monitoring of poll code violation to prevent the political parties and their candidates from engaging in activities like distribution of materials like T-shirts, caps and bags with election symbols.

A meeting of Election Code of Conduct Committee at the EC had decided on Friday to instruct chief election officers, election officers, chief district officers and other officials involved in the monitoring of code violation to stop such activities.

As the second phase of local polls closes in, EC officials said, the distribution of paraphernalis like T-shirts, caps and bags with election symbols of parties or candidates has been rising in all four provinces-1, 2, 5 and 7. The elections in 461 local units are scheduled on June 28.

“Many parties have been found to have engaged in such activities,” said Surya Prasad Sharma, spokesperson for the EC. Such incidents have been reported in Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunari, Bhairahawa and Dang, among others, an EC official said. “We are getting reports that distribution of materials with election symbols is higher in Province 1,” the official added.