Enthusiastic Participation

The electoral process for the forthcoming elections to the members of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Provincial Assemblies is moving forward in a smooth manner. Candidates belonging to different political parties as well as independent contestants have filed their nominations for the same. 

According to the latest data with the Election Commission (EC), a total of 2,502 contestants (2,269 male and 233 female) registered their candidacies for 165 seats of the Lower House of federal parliament while 3,435 candidates (3,139 male and 296 female) filed their nominations for 330 seats of the Provincial Assemblies under the fist-past-the-post (FPTP) category. The task of nominating candidates was carried out peacefully on Sunday.

This indicates that the political parties as the major stakeholders are fully committed to a free, fair and impartial election. The election body had set October 9 as the date for nomination. Candidates from various parties, along with their supporters and well-wishers, had reached the offices of their respective chief returning officers in all 77 districts across the nation to register their candidacies. The aspirants were allotted time from 10am to 5pm to file their nominations. 

The HoR is a 275-member Lower House of federal parliament. Of the total members, 110 are elected through the proportional representation (PR) system. Prior to the Dashain festival, the political parties had submitted their closed lists of candidates contesting under the PR category to the EC. There are a total of 550 provincial seats in all of seven provinces nationwide. Of them, 220 seats are voted on the basis of the PR system. The upcoming polls are the second parliamentary elections following the adoption of the federal system of governance as per the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.

It is needless to reiterate that periodic elections are the foundations for the consolidation of democratic system. With a more congenial atmosphere for polls being created across the country, an encouraging number of political parties have fielded their candidates for both the federal parliament and provincial legislature. Voters also seem to be quite enthusiastic to exercise their democratic rights. 

Many top leaders from various political parties have filed their nominations. The candidacy of Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba for a member of the HoR was registered from Dadeldhura. The PM’s spouse Dr. Arzoo Rana Deuba had reached the office of the chief returning officer in Dadeldhura to file his nomination Sunday afternoon. Similarly, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda registered his candidacy for the member of the HoR from Gorkha-2 while Chairman of the CPN-UML and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli filed his nomination from Jhapa-5.

Another former Prime Minister and chairman of the CPN-Unified Socialist Madhav Kumar Nepal is contesting for the member of the federal parliament from Rautahat-1. NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel registered his candidacy for a member of the HoR from Tanahun-1 while senior leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist) Jhalanath Khanal filed his nomination for the HoR from Ilam-1.

Then then Chairman of the Constituent Assembly (CA) and UML vice-chairman Subas Nembang got filed his candidacy from Ilam-2 while Chairman of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal Mahantha Thakur registered his nomination from Mahottari Constituency-3. Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Rajendra Lingden filed his nomination from Jhapa-3 whereas Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal Upendra Yadav and Chairman of Janamat Party Nepal CK Raut registered their candidacies from Saptari-2. Amidst much enthusiasm among political leaders, cadres and voters, the election body must ensure that everyone abides by the election code of conduct rigorously to help hold the polls in a fair and fearless environment.