Nepal

The Election Commission (EC) has recommended to the government to hold a by-election for a vacant post of the Member of the National Assembly on February 8.

The EC submitted the counsel in writing to the government on Monday in line with the provision of holding the by-election of the Upper House on the date determined by the government. 

EC officials, including Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, gave this advice to the government on Monday during a meeting with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.   

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and Government Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi were also present in the meeting. 

In the meeting, discussions were held on the by-election to the vacant post of member of National Assembly, election to the post of President and Vice President an integrated election law, among other contemporary topics.

CEC Thapaliya said the by-election to the vacant post of member of National Assembly had to be conducted after the resignation of Khimlal Bhattarai (other cluster), who was elected to the Upper House from Lumbini Province, was accepted on October 9, 2022. "The post had fallen vacant, so the election to the post of President has to be held before March 12 as the term of the incumbent President terminated on that date and the election to the post of Vice President had to be held as it is required that the election to the post of Vice President should be concluded within 15 days of the date of the election to the post of President."

EC spokesperson Shaligram Poudyal said the meeting was also informed about the EC’s preparation to present the draft of the Integrated Election Laws that it had drafted in the first session of the Federal Parliament. 

On the occasion, PM Dahal thanked the Election Commission for conducting in a free, fair and fearless environment the local level election on May 13 and the election to the Member of House of Representatives and National Assembly on November 20, 2022.

He made it clear that the government was ready to provide the necessary support, coordination and facilitation for the election to the post of President and Vice President as proposed by the EC and to forward the Integrated Election Laws. 

In this connection, DPM and Finance Minister Poudel said the Ministry of Finance is prepared to mobilize the financial support required for the upcoming elections. 

DPM and Home Minister Lamichhane assured of all the cooperation on behalf of his Ministry as the EC's liaison Ministry. 

Election commissioners Ishwori Prasad Poudyal, Ram Prasad Bhandari, Janaki Kumari Tuladhar and EC Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi were also present in the meeting.

With RSS inputs