EC completes scrutiny of PR candidate lists

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 4: The Election Commission (EC) has completed the scrutiny of the closed lists of candidates submitted by political parties under the Proportional Representation (PR) system for the March 5 election. 

According to EC Joint Spokesperson Kul GC, the commission reviewed whether the submitted lists complied with constitutional and legal provisions, particularly the cluster-based inclusion requirements. 

Based on the review, the EC will forward suggestions to the political parties on Sunday, highlighting necessary corrections.

Political parties will be allowed to amend their closed lists from January 5 to January 11. The EC will invite parties separately on designated dates to point out errors and inform them of required changes.

January 12 has been fixed as the deadline for candidates wishing to withdraw their names from the PR closed lists. 

The EC will notify concerned parties about such withdrawals and resulting vacancies on January 13. Parties must then nominate replacement candidates from the same cluster between January 14 and January 16.

The revised PR closed lists will be published on January 18. Applications for claims and objections related to candidates can be filed from January 19 to January 24. 

The EC will review these claims and objections through January 31 and publish a notice on February 2 regarding the removal of any ineligible candidates. The final PR closed lists will be made public on February 3.

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Meanwhile, political parties have faced widespread criticism over their PR lists. Critics argue that both established and new parties have undermined the spirit of PR system by prioritising elites, affluent individuals, and celebrities over marginalised communities.

Traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have again been accused of favouring relatives and close associates of party leaders.

Several former ministers and lawmakers have received repeat nominations among the 110 PR seats. New and alternative political forces have also come under scrutiny for similar shortcomings.

The EC has noted that some parties attempted to obscure candidates’ identities by omitting surnames or gender in certain clusters. GC said the commission would thoroughly verify candidates’ identities and enforce corrections accordingly.

GC said, “If parties fail to correct errors, candidates who do not meet PR cluster criteria will be removed, and seats may remain vacant as per legal provisions. There is a legal provision for this.”

He added that the EC would ensure that the PR system is implemented in line with its intended spirit of inclusion.

Meanwhile, five candidates—Dr. Mahendra Lawati, Trishala Gurung, Sachin Dhakal, Ashif Shah, and Tashi Lhakpa Sherpa-- listed in the PR closed list of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) have announced to withdraw their candidacies.