Silence period started, what can’t be done?

KATHMANDU: MAY. 11 – The silence period started under local level member election. Voting is taking place across the country on Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The 48-hour period before voting is called the silence period. During the silence period, electioneering and any activities affecting the voters are not allowed through any medium. A silent period has been fixed for holding the election in a fraud-free, clean, fair and fear-free environment.

As per the election code of conduct enforced by the EC, the publicity materials of any political parties or candidates put up around a 300-meter perimeter of polling centres should be removed before the commencement of the silence period.

The office-bearers and candidates of the political parties and sister-wings of the parties as well as the concerned individuals should abide by the election code of conduct during the silence period.

The EC can penalize up to Rs 100,000 to those violating the election code of conduct during the silence period.

The commission has said that there should not be any kind of discussion, introspection, assembly conference, workshop, etc., including election campaign during the silence period. Before the start of the silence period, campaign materials of political parties or candidates placed within 300 meters of the polling station should be removed.

Similarly, during this period, it will not be possible to solicit votes or conduct election campaigns through any method, process or medium.

During the silence period, no message, information or propaganda material for or against the political party or candidate will be shared or posted on social media, online, print or any other medium. The commission has urged all to remove posts contrary to the election code of conduct from social media and not to make new posts.

During this period, no candidate or political party will be allowed to use, sell, distribute, display/display the election symbol, hat, sticker, logo, bag, mask, batch.