EC says HoR election inevitable

KATHMANDU: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has said that the debate over whether the House of Representatives election will be held has become meaningless, as all necessary preparations are already underway.

Addressing the closing session of a two-day orientation program organized by the Election Commission for political parties on the submission of proportional representation closed lists, Bhandari said that the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21 is an inevitable solution under the current political circumstances.

He stated that political issues would be resolved politically and that the Election Commission would fully respect issues settled through political and legal processes.

“The Commission is fully committed to conducting the election. We have no option other than holding elections,” Bhandari said. “After the Gen Z revolt and the evolving political situation, uncertainty will arise if elections are not held on time. Therefore, conducting elections is unavoidable. Elections are also necessary to restore constitutional regularity.”

Urging political parties to take responsibility for good governance, Bhandari called on them to select capable candidates and actively contribute to strengthening democracy.

He also stressed that proportional representation closed lists must be submitted without errors, ensuring representation of caste, language, class, and geography, and reminded parties to fully comply with the forthcoming election code of conduct.

He further urged political parties to refrain from exclusionary politics and to create a free, fair, impartial, and fear-free environment for election campaigning. “No one should obstruct the electoral process. Parties should present themselves politely and respectfully before voters,” he said, adding, “The Election Commission is only a referee; political parties are the real players in this electoral game.”

Election Commissioners Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar and Sugun Shumsher JB Rana, Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut, spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, and other officials were present at the program. Representatives from 93 political parties—two from each party—that have applied to participate in the proportional representation system attended the orientation held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Legal and statistics experts provided training on the procedures and methods for recommending candidates based on the prescribed inclusion percentages.

Following President Ramchandra Paudel’s promulgation of the House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2082 on Friday, based on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, political parties are required to maintain inclusiveness in their closed lists according to the population percentages of Dalit, Indigenous Nationalities, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, and Muslim communities as per the 2078 national census.

Spokesperson Bhattarai said the Election Commission has completed all preparations, as political parties applying under the proportional representation system must submit their closed lists on Poush 13 and 14, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, in line with the population data of the 2078 census.