Political parties and candidates in Nepal gearing up for the upcoming March 5 general elections are focusing more on social media platforms. The Kathmandu Post reported a rise in advertising expenditure on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, and Messenger. Data revealed that the Rastriya Pariwartan Party led in Facebook advertising spending between October 20 and January 11, with a significant investment in promoting content through various pages.
Nepal’s Gatisheel Loktantrik Party also emerged as a top spender on social media, with multiple pages and district chapters running sponsored posts consistently. The report highlighted that the Gatisheel party’s main Facebook page alone posted 39 sponsored content pieces in the last three months. Additionally, the Rastriya Pariwartan Party, established in November under Rajesh Portel’s leadership, spent a total of USD 2,360 on Facebook promotions, including contributions from its district chapters.
Concerns over transparency and targeted campaigning arose as parties and candidates were found to be spending substantially on digital campaigns. An expert mentioned that while social media has democratized election outreach, digital campaigns exhibit both ethical and unethical practices. Notably, the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party and individuals like Birendra Bahadur Basnet and Shree Gurung were identified as significant spenders on social media advertising.
The report also highlighted spending by other entities like the Nepali Congress Party and non-partisan initiatives promoting voter literacy. With Meta data indicating a slight decrease in spending recently, it is anticipated that social media advertising will escalate as the election nears. The Nepal Election Commission has announced stricter monitoring of social media ads this year, emphasizing the need to combat fake news and misinformation.
