The Election Commission has denied registering an application filed by freedom1 Forum’s Chairperson Taranath Dahal and Sanjib Ghimire in line with the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking information about the expenses made by the political parties in elections.
Mr Dahal and Ghimire on behalf of RTI Support Centre of the freedom1 Forum had filed the application, seeking information about the election expenses of the political parties that contested the Constituent Assembly elections.
They had also requested information about the candidate that was the most spendthrift and thereby had violated the Election Act and if any action was taken against the particular candidate.
An officer at the registration section of the Election Commission told the information seekers that there was no information officer, and no application would be registered without stamp and written approval of the legal section or the Secretary of the Commission.
With this, the EC sent back the information seekers empty handed on Januaray 8, 2013, according to petitioners Dahal and Ghimire.
Citing the RTI Act 2007 provision of requiring every public agency to have an information officer to compulsorily make public the information of the agency concerned, the information seekers on Wednesday registered an appeal at the National Information Commission.