Election Commission holds first all-party meeting

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Oct. 17: The Election Commission has begun consultations with political parties regarding preparations for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, 2026. The first all-party meeting was held on Thursday at the Commission’s office, with participation of the representatives from 29 political parties that represent the federal, provincial and local levels and officials of the Commission. 

During the meeting, political parties suggested that continuous discussions should be held with the relevant stakeholders, as the election is being conducted under critical circumstances, said Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai. 

They emphasised the need to make the election less expensive and to fully implement the Election Code of Conduct, he added. 

Parties also stressed that the election should be conducted on the stipulated date in a free, fair, impartial, peaceful, and fearless manner. To achieve this, the government must create a conducive environment. This includes proper security arrangements to ensure that political parties, candidates, election staff and voters can participate without fear.

During the meeting, Acting Chief Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari urged all parties to actively create a conducive election environment and start preparations promptly, noting that the election had been officially announced following the Gen Z movement on September 8-9 and the formation of the interim government led by  Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

Bhandari said the election is being held under unusual circumstances, and urged all political leaders to actively participate in the electoral process.

He stated that the Commission has been holding a series of consultations with the government, which has expressed its commitment to ensure proper allocation of resources and budget, as well as arrangements for peace and security.

The Commission has also called on all concerned parties to refrain from engaging in politics of prohibition. 

The Commission had invited parties that had representation in the dissolved HoR or had won at least one ward in the previous election to participate in discussions regarding election preparations.

Representatives at the meeting included Min Bishwakarma, head of the publicity department of Nepali Congress, Guru Baral, vice-chair of CPN-UML, Dev Gurung, secretariat member of CPN (Maoist Centre), Kabindra Burlakoti, general secretary of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and Rajendra Prasad Pandey, senior vice-chair of CPN (Unified Socialist), among others.

The meeting concluded with political parties agreeing to cooperate with the Commission and adhere to the registration and certification deadlines to ensure smooth electoral preparations.