Elections in Nepal

The Election Commission of Nepal is formed of five Election Commissioners, one of whom is Chief Election Commissioner and acts as the chairperson. They serve one term of six years and are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council. The Chief Election Commissioners and other Election Commissioners must hold a bachelor's degree, must not belong to a political party immediately before their appointment, must have attained the age of forty-five and must possess high moral character.[5]

The Election Commission conducts, supervises, directs and controls the elections for the President, Vice-president, Federal Parliament, State Legislature and local bodies. It prepares a voters' list for the purpose of the election and holds referendums on subjects of national importance as per the Constitution and Federal law.[6]

Following the dissolution of parliament all the Members of Parliament forming the House of Representatives of the Federal Parliament of Nepal are elected. The term for the House of Representatives is five years, except when dissolved earlier. When the House of Representatives is dissolved the power of Federal Parliament is carried out by the National Assembly.[7]

Candidates for each constituency are chosen by the political parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one MP under the first past the post system of election. Since Nepal uses a parallel voting system, voters cast another ballot to elect MPs through the party-list proportional representation. The current constitution specifies that 165 MPs are elected from the first past the post system and 110 MPs are elected through the party-list proportional representation system. Women should account for one third of total members elected from each party and if one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of total number as women through the party-list proportional representation.[7]

A party with an overall majority (more seats than all other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If a party has no outright majority, parties can seek to form coalitions.

According to Article 86 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015, the members of the National Assembly are elected every six years through an electoral college. In addition to this, one-third of the members are retired every two years for six years by drawing a lottery.[10]

The electoral college consists of members of the provincial assembly and Chairperson/Mayor and Vice Chairperson/Deputy Mayor of the local bodies within the state. Each provincial assembly members vote has a weight of forty eight whereas each Chairperson/Mayor/Vice Chairperson/Deputy Mayor vote has a weight of eighteen. The electoral college elects 56 members to the National Assembly and three members, including one woman, are nominated by the president on the recommendation of the Government of Nepal.[10]

Following the dissolution of the provincial assembly all the members forming the Provincial Assembly are elected. The term for the Provincial Assembly is five years, except when dissolved earlier.[12]

Candidates for each constituency are chosen by the political parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one member under the first past the post system of election. Since Nepal uses a parallel voting system, voters cast another ballot to elect members through the party-list proportional representation. The current constitution specifies that sixty percent of the members should be elected from the first past the post system and forty percent through the party-list proportional representation system. Women should account for one third of total members elected from each party and if one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of total number as women through the party-list proportional representation.[12]

A party with an overall majority (more seats than all other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If a party has no outright majority, parties can seek to form coalitions.

The first provincial assembly elections in Nepal were held on 26 November and 7 December 2017.

Elections are held for the municipal executive and municipal assemblies in municipalities and for the village executive and village assemblies in rural municipalities. The local executive consists of the elected mayor (or chair in rural municipalities), the deputy mayor (or the deputy chair in rural municipalities) and ward chairs of every ward in the local unit elected through first-past-the-post voting and, five female members (four in rural municipalities) and three members of the Dalit or minority community (two in rural municipalities) elected by the local assembly through single non-transferable vote.[14] The assembly consists of the mayor (chair in the case of village assemblies), the deputy mayor (deputy chair in village assemblies), ward chais and four members from each ward of the municipality or rural municipality. Two ward members must be female, one of whom must belong to the dalit community or a minority group. All elections to the village assembly are held on the basis of first past the post system.[15]

There has been one referendum held in Nepal, The 1980 governmental system referendum of 2 May 1980.

• Electoral calendar
• Electoral system
• Electoral roll
• Election commission

• Election Commission
• Adam Carr's Election Archive
• The Carter Center information on Nepal
• नेपालको निर्वाचनको इतिहास