Security Cost Dominates Election Budget as Total Spending Tops Rs 23 billion

The government spent more than Rs 23 billion to conduct the House of Representatives (HoR) election held on March 5, with the bulk of the expenditure going toward security arrangements.

Of the total spending, over Rs 17 billion was used to mobilise security agencies, while the Election Commission (EC) accounted for around Rs 5.37 billion, including pending liabilities.

Two hundred eighty-four rupees per voter was spent in the election, according to the EC.

The EC has estimated that only around 60 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in the House of Representatives election, marking the lowest voter turnout in Nepal since 1991. The Commission had earlier published the final voters’ list for the polls, confirming that 18,903,689 citizens were eligible to vote—an increase of 915,119 compared to the 2022 elections.

Speaking at a news conference organised by the EC after submitting a comprehensive report on HoR election to President Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday, Joint-Secretary and EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said cost-cutting measures, including the reuse of previously procured materials, helped reduce expenses.

According to the EC, it has so far spent Rs 3.54 billion on election-related activities, with additional payments yet to be cleared pushing the total to Rs 5.37 billion.

The Commission had initially sought Rs 7.85 billion for the election, while the Ministry of Finance approved Rs 6.76 billion.

Of the 50 types of election materials required, 37 were sourced from provincial and district election offices, while only 13 types were centrally procured and distributed. The EC also avoided purchasing certain items and instead used existing resources, while procurement was carried out through direct agreements with public institutions.

A total of 164 international observers monitored the election, while 35 organisations served as domestic observers.

The Commission expressed gratitude to voters and all stakeholders, including government bodies, security agencies, election officials, political parties, candidates, observers and the media, for their role in conducting the election successfully. – With inputs from RSS