As the aspiring National Council candidates start campaigning ahead of the April 20 poll day, election commission tells candidates not to engage in mudslinging.
The month-long campaign period for the 3rd National Council election began on Tuesday. 130 aspiring candidates, selected through Gewog Dhamngoi Zomdu that concluded last week, will vie for a seat in the National Council.
In a live interview with BBS news yesterday, the Head of ECB’s Department of Civic and Electoral Training, Phub Dorji, said the key thing that candidates must bear in mind is to stay away from mudslinging or negative campaigning.
“During the campaign, candidates are not supposed to indulge in mudslinging and what they are capable of doing for the people and the country is more important than what others are doing or have not done.”
As in the past, candidates can campaign in two ways- common forum and door-to-door. While the door-to-door campaign has already begun, common forums will begin from Sunday.
Door-to-door campaign, Phub Dorji, said should be carried out between 6 am and 6 pm.
Each candidate is eligible to apply for a public campaign fund of up to Nu 1, 50,000.
The fund is to be used for direct campaign purposes, which include setting up of campaign office spaces, paying utility bills and hiring vehicles for campaign purposes.
“The candidates will have to produce expenditure statement and also any receipt, for that matter, has to be counter signed by the national observers on a weekly basis,” Phub Dorji said.
Irrespective of whether they are elected or not, the candidates will have to submit their expenditure statements within a month from the poll day, he added.
Phub Dorji said the national observers are not just keeping an eye on the candidates but are also watching the ECB and all the others involved in the election process to make sure everything is being done as per election laws.
Another thing that is prohibited during the campaign is that ministers and MPs are not supposed to travel to the constituencies. “If it is at all unavoidable, the ECB has to be informed,” Phub Dorji said.
Local leaders are barred from participating, directly or indirectly, or doing anything that can be construed as showing their support to or opposition against candidates.
The candidates also cannot serve meals or refreshments to public or voters, or pay them for attending meetings and voting.
Yesterday was the last day for the voters to register themselves to vote for the National Council elections. “It’s what we call freezing of electoral roll and that was yesterday,” Phub Dorji said.
The electoral roll, he said, has to be finalized a month before the poll day. “But if there are cases where unavoidable circumstances have prevented the voters from registering, ECB will meet, discuss and approve it.”
Candidates must end their campaigns 48 hours before the poll day.
