Kathmandu: Two hundred eighty-four rupees per voter was spent in the election to the House of Representatives held on March 5, according to the Election Commission (EC). At a news conference organised by EC after submitting a comprehensive report on the HoR election to President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday, Joint-Secretary and EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Poudel shared that EC had adopted a policy of using the election materials purchased in the past in order to make the election frugal.
According to National News Agency Nepal, out of 50 types of election materials, 37 types were procured from province and district election offices. The EC purchased only 13 types of materials and dispatched them to districts. The election body had requested Rs 7.81 billion for the election, but the Finance Ministry allocated Rs 6.76 billion, out of which Rs 3.54 billion was spent. However, some payments are still pending for the spending liability, added EC.
A total of 164 international observers monitored the HoR election. Additionally, 35 NGOs served as national observers. The EC extended gratitude to all voters for participating in the HoR election despite challenging circumstances. It also thanked various stakeholders including the government, province government, local levels, chief returning officers, election officers, security bodies, employees, political parties, candidates, observers, the international community, and media for their positive contributions to the successful conduct of the election.