HoR elections: NIC urges dissemination of truthful and objective information

January 30, Kathmandu: The National Information Commission (NIC) has called on all concerned to disseminate truthful, factual and objective information related to the upcoming election to the House of Representatives.

The Commission urged responsible flow of information to ensure that the election scheduled for March 5 is free, fair and fear-free.

NIC Commissioner and spokesperson Gagan Bista said the spread of misleading, false and biased information during elections can seriously harm the democratic process. He stressed that election-related information should be based on truth and reality.

Bista said stakeholders must make election information public in a timely manner and in a form that is easily understood by everyone. He also urged the government to keep relevant bodies active in monitoring and regulating false and misleading information.

The Election Commission, he said, has emphasized the need to strengthen voter education, disseminate information through multilingual platforms, and publish election-related laws, directives and the code of conduct on time.

Bista instructed political parties and candidates to share only factual information about their candidates and refrain from using abusive language, defamation, or false and misleading claims. He also directed political parties to appoint an information officer to disseminate election-related information.

He said the media must follow principles of impartiality, balance and equal access while covering election news. The Commission warned media outlets against publishing or broadcasting promotional materials of political parties or candidates as news.

The NIC has also urged the public to verify official and reliable sources before sharing information on social media or other platforms and to report misleading information to the concerned authorities.