Nepali Congress to accept donation for polls only through banking channel

Nepali Congress (NC) has become the first political party in the country to accept donation – for the second Constituent Assembly (CA) election – through banking channel to ensure transparency.

The voluntary donation for the CA polls will be accepted through the bank accounts only, informed the democratic party – that had fought against the Rana oligarch, party less Panchayat regime and still fighting against the communist dictatorship – today unveiling the bank accounts for all the well wishers within and outside the country.

The entrepreneurs have been long suggesting the political parties to make the donation transparent also to maintain party reputation that has seen a plunge in recent years due to forceful donation and extortion.

Nepali Congress also announced the names of remittance companies through which the Non-resident Nepalese (NRNs), who wish to donate the party, can remit the voluntary donation.

The party has opened accounts at Rastriya Banijya Bank, Grand Bank, Nepal Investment Bank and Global IME Bank, where the donors can deposit the donation. One can find detailed bank accounts information at the party´s official website www.nepalicongress.org.
Organising a press meet at the party´s headquarters at Sanepa in the capital today, the party said that voluntary donation for the CA polls will be accepted only through the banking channel to ensure transparency.

The party sympathisers can log onto the NC official website and click donation button and donate voluntarily by filling online form, said NC treasurer Chitra Lekha Yadav.
“They can also print the receipt after filling up the form and donating money either through telex transfer via bank or remit through the authorised remittance companies,” she said, adding that the NRNs can send donations through Western Union Money Transfer, Money Gram, NABIL Remit, Himal Remit, City Express, International Money Express, Prabhu Money Transfer, Goodwill Remit, Sunrise Remit and Pashupati Remit.

The NRNs can remit money and send the remittance code by clicking remittance code button on the party web page.

The donors names will also be published at www.donation@nepalicongress.org. But for those, who do not want their names to be made public will not be publicised respecting their rights to privacy,” according to Sushil Poudel, who helped design the website.

The Nepali Congress move will force other political parties also to be more transparency as the parties have been in the past blamed for forceful donations and extortion during the election.

NC President Sushil Koirala, on the occasion, said that the move will help make Nepali Congress more transparent. “Some people in the past tried to tarnish the image of the party,” he said, adding that with the new initiative the party will maintain financial transparency, according to its principle.

The party has decided unanimously to accept the donation through banking channels also to make the CA election more transparent. “It will also counter the possibility of anyone misusing the donationand embezzlement,” the NC president added. “Nepali Congress also plans to publish details of the total income and expenditure after the CA election.”

Since the election has become more expensive, the party needs donoations from its sympathasiers and also to win the election that can ensure a democratic Constitution to chart out a map for a prosperous Nepal, Koirala said, at the press meet that was attended by NC office bearers, including vice president Ram Chandra Paudel, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and general secretary Prakash Man Singh.  

The NC has also formed Election Fund General Committee – led by president Koirala – including vice president Paudel, senior leader Deuba, treasurer Yadav, Central Working Committee members Ram Krishna Tamrakar, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and Deep Kumar Upadhyaya.