The Election Commission has recently taken action against 69 political parties for their failure to submit audit reports for the financial year 2021/2022 and preceding years. During a meeting held on July 17, the commission decided to impose fines on parties that did not meet the requirements, including not submitting or making public the audit report.
A fine of Rs 7,000 has been imposed on 39 political parties that failed to publish their audit reports within the specified timeframe and submit the necessary information to the Commission. Among the parties fined are Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), National Yathartawad Party, Nepal Rashtriya Ekta Party Prajatanvati, Madhesh Tarai Forum, Nepal Purwarashtra Sevak Prajatantrik Party, Nepal Communist Party (Marxist), Madhesi Janadhikhar Forum, Madhesh Bahujan Shakti Party, Khambuwan Rashtriya Morcha Nepal, Nepal Sukhumbashi Party (Democratic), Bahujan Samaj Party Nepal, Nepali Janata Dal, Rastrawadi Ekta Party, Maoist Communist Party, Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Rashtriya Sadbhavana Party, and others.
Additionally, a fine of Rs 20,000 has been imposed on Aam Aadmi Party Nepal, Rashtriya Janamukti Party Loktantrik, and CPN Lokrahntrik for failing to submit financial audits for the years 2020/21 and 2022/23. Sena Nepal and Shiv Sena Nepal will face fines of Rs 15,000.
The Commission has further levied fines of Rs 15,000 on 16 political parties, including Pichalabarga Nishad Dalit Janjati Party, Nationalist People’s Party, Samajwadi Party, and Nepal Dalit Party, as they did not provide a satisfactory explanation to the Commission’s request for clarification regarding the audit reports for the financial year 2021/2022.
Moreover, Nepal Rastriya Party, Gandhiwadi Party, CPN Pariwartan, and Samajwadi Center have been fined Rs 15,000 for submitting an explanation but failing to submit the audit reports for the financial year 2021/2022.
The commission has sought clarification from Nepal Naulo Janata Party, CPN Nationalist Party, Federal Democratic National Forum Tharuhat, and other parties that did not submit the audit reports on time, and has imposed fines of Rs 20,000 per party.
Furthermore, Bahujan Ekta Party, Nepali Prince Party, Nagraik Unmukti Party, Nepal Aama Party, Janata Pragatisheel Party, Nepalwad, Sanghiya Khumbuwan Loktantrik Party, and Nepal Samajwadi Party have been fined for submitting the audit reports after the stipulated deadline. These parties have been ordered to submit the reports within seven days.
Trimul Nepal has been fined Rs 10,000 for failing to provide an explanation regarding the delay in the submission of the audit report within the specified timeframe.
The commission has instructed the parties to deposit the imposed fines within 35 days. Under the Political Parties Act 2016, registered political parties are required to prepare audit reports within six months from the end of the financial year and submit them to the Election Commission within one month.