Election Commission unveils calendar of events for NA elections

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has unveiled the calendar of events for the upcoming elections for the vacant seats in the National Assembly (NA). 

Releasing the schedule, the poll body said that the political parties will have to register at the commission for election purpose. 

Similarly, it [EC] would publish the updated electoral roll on January 3. 

According to the constitution, an electoral college of the members of House of Representatives (HoR), members of seven provincial assemblies and chairpersons/mayors/vice-chairpersons/deputy mayors of municipalities and rural municipalities.

The elections for the 19 vacant seats at the upper House of parliament have been scheduled for January 26. 

The government has decided to conduct by-elections for the 19 vacant seats of the National Assembly (NA)  on January 26, next year.

As per the calendar of events published by the election body on Tuesday, the nomination of candidates would take place on January 4. After making necessary decisions over the complaints (if any) on the nominated candidates, the poll body is scheduled to publish the final list of candidates on January 9. The commission will assign election symbols to the aspiring candidates on the same day. 

Voting for the members of the upper House will take place between 9 AM and 3 PM on January 26. 

As per the Constitution of Nepal, there is a  provision to conduct the election 35 days prior to the expiry of NA lawmakers’ tenure.

The tenure of twenty members of the 59-member National Assembly (NA) is due to expire on March 4. One of them was nominated by the President at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. 

As per Article 86 of the Constitution of Nepal, NA members shall remain in position for six years. The term of office of one-third of the members of the National Assembly expires every two years.

The tenure of the first batch of NA members was fixed through a lottery system following the 2017 polls. Following the commencement of the constitution, arrangements were made by drawing lots to retire one-third of the members on the expiry of two years, another one-third on the expiry of four years and the final one-third on the expiry of six years.  

Of the 20 members whose tenure is expiring March 2022, eight belong to the main opposition CPN-UML, five to the ruling CPN (Maoist Center) and four to the ruling CPN (Unified Socialist). Similarly, three Nepali Congress (NC) will also retire as NA members. 

The by-polls are viewed as a trial of the ruling alliance and the main opposition, CPN-UML.