Candidacy and Campaigning | Campaign Finance
ANFREL NEPAL 2017 INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION REPORT 2017 - House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Elections
R81001 - There should be a review of the current limits/ceilings to reflect the reality of the needs of political parties and candidates in carrying out campaigns. There is general agreement that the ceilings on expenditures set by the ECN are unreasonably low. An expenditure limit is effective only if it is reasonable. It must not be too low and it must not be too high. A reasonable amount takes into account the various activities of a campaign necessary for the candidate to reach out to the voters to deliver the campaign's message. Read More..
Candidacy and Campaigning | Campaign Finance
ANFREL NEPAL 2017 INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION REPORT 2017 - House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Elections
R81002 - Limits on expenditures should be derived through a methodical process. As pointed out by respondents, the same limits apply in all constituences regardless of geographical size or number of voters. Therefore, when reviewing the limits, policy makers should consider the size of the constituency and set limits for each constituency based on the number of voters (for example: $1 per voter in a constituency; thus, for 500 voters, the limit would be $500) and the geographical circumstances of the constituency. Amounts could also be adjusted to reflect changes to the consumer price index to reflect changing spending realities. Read More..
Candidacy and Campaigning | Campaign Finance
ANFREL NEPAL 2017 INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION REPORT 2017 - House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Elections
R81004 - To enhance monitoring and enforcement of campaign finance law, the ECN should require parties and candidates to create and maintain a paper trail of all individual contributions in excess of a certain amount and all individual expenditures in excess of an amount set and agreed upon by political parties and stakeholders. The rationale for such a recommendation is explained at length above. Read More..
Candidacy and Campaigning | Campaign Finance
ANFREL NEPAL 2017 INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVATION REPORT 2017 - House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Elections
R81005 - Public Funding of Political Parties should be considered: Nepal's political party system should also consider adopting public funding for political parties. Public funding refers to funding provided for by the state to finance the campaign spending of political parties. In some countries, states provide full support as in the case of South Korea, while others provide state subsidies, as is the case in Taiwan. In both systems, a set of criteria needs to be met in order for parties to qualify for full funding or subsidies, as the case may be (e.g., imposing vote thresholds, performance). Public funding is meant to provide the resources for party building, to promote transparency and accountability in the sourcing of expenditures of the party for internal development and for campaign funds, and lastly to level the playing field. Public funding is a state investment in democracy. It helps enhance the capability of parties to research, education, and advocate for their respective agendas, thereby strengthening political parties and helping them become mature democratic institutions. Read More..
