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The Election Commission (EC) has stated that a trustworthy security environment for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) polls will be created for the political parties, candidates, and voters alike.

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said that a robust security situation would be ensured for the political parties and candidates to visit the voters for the election campaigns and for the voters to cast their votes.

Spokesperson Bhattarai made it clear that all four security agencies were working in a coordinated fashion as per the integrated security planning and the government was also providing resources for the polls. 

The political parties, candidates, and campaigners enjoy the situation to visit the voters and take their views to the people in a fearless manner, he added.

The special central general convention of the Nepali Congress is starting from today.

The special general convention is being held after the majority of the general convention delegates signed a call for it.

The convention is being held under the leadership of General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma.

The two-day special general convention is scheduled to be inaugurated at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu at 1 pm today.

Before the inauguration, leaders and cadres will gather in Sundhara, Ratna Park, Shankardev Campus, Kamalpokhari, Kupandol and other areas of Kathmandu at 11 am and leave for Bhrikutimandap with a rally, shared Jagadishwar Narsingh KC, coordinator of the special general convention public mobilization committee.

It has been decided that the special general convention will be chaired by Congress Kathmandu President Krishna Sabuj Baniya.

The organizing committee has stated that most of the delegates have already arrived.

The registration of the names of the participating delegates will be held from 8 am, informed Secretariat Coordinator Manoj Mani Acharya.

According to Ramesh Dhamala, Coordinator of the Accommodation and Food Management Committee, accommodation has been arranged for 3,600 delegates in various places in Kathmandu.

After the inauguration of the special general convention, the closed session will be held in the Bhrikutimandap assembly hall from January 12.

The special general convention, however, has not been supported by the establishment faction of the party, including its current President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Digital Rights Nepal (DRN) has raised concerns over provisions related to voter information included in the “House of Representatives Member Election Directive, 2082” issued by the Election Commission.

In a statement, DRN said the directive’s Chapter 4, Clauses 10 and 12, which allow political parties and independent candidates to receive digital copies of the voter register, are inconsistent with constitutional provisions and the Right to Privacy Act, 2075. According to DRN, the voter register contains sensitive personal details such as voter ID numbers, gender or gender identity, age, and parents’ names, which could make individuals easily identifiable and pose risks to personal privacy.

DRN also expressed concern that personal details including voter numbers, age, gender, and names of spouses and parents are already publicly accessible on the Election Commission’s website. It warned that distributing digital copies of voter lists containing such information to private devices could further increase the risk of misuse, not only during the election period but also afterward.

Citing the Right to Privacy Act, DRN noted that voter identification details are defined as personal information and that gender identity is classified as sensitive personal data protected from publication or dissemination in ways that could affect an individual’s private life. The organisation stated that the exceptions allowing limited disclosure under the law—such as explicit consent of the individual, self-disclosure, court orders, or criminal investigations—do not apply to the provisions in the election directive.

DRN said the protection of voter data is directly linked to fundamental rights, public trust, and the credibility of democracy. It added that the inclusion of details such as gender identity, age, and parents’ names in a single dataset could enable the creation of detailed personal profiles, raising additional concerns, particularly for gender minorities.

The organisation has called on the Election Commission to immediately suspend the digital distribution of voter data, review and limit the scope of personal information made public on its website, amend the directive in line with constitutional principles and the Right to Privacy Act, and consult with civil society, legal experts, and human rights organisations before finalising any revisions.

The Election Commission has brought activities in the social networking platforms under the purview of the code of conduct with the aim of making the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives free and fair.

According to the Commission, the code of conduct prohibits anyone from operating an account in social networking platforms or opening a fake site with the intention of adversely affecting the elections. 

The code of conduct prohibits any act of belittling or spreading misinformation in social networking platforms with or without the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Similarly, the code of conduct prohibits the dissemination of misleading information, insults, and hate speech, or the making misleading comments.

Similarly, information or material published or broadcast for any purpose may not be modified or posted, reposted, commented on, live-streamed, tagged or mentioned in social media, with or without the use of artificial intelligence, with the intention of influencing the election.

The code of conduct prohibits any act that adversely affects the credibility of the elections or the reputation of the Commission, Commissioner or its employees. 

It also prohibits character assassination, personal defamation, or the production of similar materials in any form, and the publication or broadcast of such materials by any means.

It also prohibits the violation of the confidentiality of voters or any other act that affects the integrity or impartiality of the election. 

The Commission is preparing to implement the code of conduct from January 17.