Acting Election Commissioner Neel Kanth Upreti said the commission is yet to take a decision on the nature of action to be taken against such parties but said the constitutional commission will take “necessary” action depending on how the parties justify the delay. [break]
“We will take appropriate action,” Upreti told Republica.
According to EC, altogether 27 political parties have submitted the financial details of the last four years to EC while other 19 parties have submitted partial reports and sought more time for submission of a full report.
Madhes-based political parties -- Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) are among the 31 parties that have failed to submit the details of their financial activities.
When asked if the commission would extend the deadline for submission of the report, Upreti said, “We will evaluate the justifications for seeking extension of the deadline.”
Officials said the commission is preparing to take action to be taken against errant parties.
“The constitutional body is determined to take necessary action against such political parties,” said Joint Secretary Madhu Prasad Regmi, who heads the legal division of the constitutional body.
As per the existing laws, the EC can annul registration of a party if it fails to furnish its audited financial reports for three consecutive years.
According to the EC officials, the constitutional body has categorized the political parties into four categories on the basis of the status of their financial reports.
Main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has submitted details of the financial activities of three fiscal years after the Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008. NC has sought two more months for submission a full report.
Altogether 80 parties are registered at the Election Commission. The political parties, as per the existing laws, are required to submit their financial reports to the commission every fiscal year. The EC may cancel registration of a party for failure to submit such details for three consecutive years.
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