EC proposes banning tainted from politics

KATHMANDU, Dec 30: In a bid to discourage tainted persons from involvement in politics, the Election Commission (EC) has proposed a new provision in election-related laws that will bar persons convicted of criminal offenses or involvement in moral turpitude from even becoming members of political parties if they have not completed serving the sentences handed down by courts of law or other legal authorities.



An ordinance prepared by the constitutional body to amend and unify the laws related to political parties has also for the first time listed the types of crimes and offenses for which a person can be restricted from politics. [berak]



As per the ordinance, a person who is convicted of killing, theft, robbery, fraud, forgery, fake currency use, misappropriation of foreign currency, kidnapping, rape, corruption, human trafficking, money laundering, banking irregularities, passport misuse, drug smuggling, jail break or abbeting jail break by others, smuggling of prohibited wildlife or vegetation or objects of archeological importance, illegal trade and spying, among other illegal activities, or has shown moral turpitude, cannot be a member of any political party if he or she has not completed serving the sentence awarded by a court or any other legal authority.



Asked why the EC did not incorporate a legal provision barring tainted persons for life from participating in politics, an EC official involved in drafting the ordinance said the proposed time period was enough to put an end to the political career of any tainted person.



"Baring a politician from politics for six years means such a person cannot be elected a member of parliamen for two tenures of five years each," the EC official said on condition of anonymity.



However, the EC official has expressed doubt over the endorsement of the proposed legal provision by the political parties. "I think they (political parties) will try to remove the provision from the ordinance as it is detrimental to the interests of tainted politicians," he added.



The EC has also proposed to bar from membership of any political party a person who has been including in a blacklist pursuant to the prevailing laws, for deliberately defaulting on a loan from a bank or a financial institution.



The existing election-related laws bar persons convicted of criminal cases only from contesting for public posts, including member of parliament.

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