HoR candidate nominations today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 20: Candidate nominations for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) election under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) election system are being registered simultaneously in all 165 constituencies on Tuesday.

The Election Commission has also clarified that candidates may submit nomination papers through authorised representatives and has urged all candidates to comply strictly with electoral laws and the code of conduct.

Election officers’ offices have already been established in all 165 constituencies to facilitate the nomination process. The aspiring candidates wishing to contest the elections can submit their papers tomorrow between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. 

Top leaders of political parties have headed to their respective constituencies to file their candidacies. 

CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Communist Party coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and co-coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane, along with other senior party leaders, are all travelling to their constituencies to register their nominations.

The chairman of CPN-UML and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is filing his candidacy from Jhapa-5, while the former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and leader of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Balendra Shah is Oli’s rival. 

Similarly, Nepali Communist Party coordinator Prachanda is filing his nomination from Rukum East-1, co-coordinator Nepal from Rautahat-1 and Narayan Kaji Shrestha from Sarlahi-3. 

The aspiring candidates must submit a copy of their Nepali citizenship certificate or voter ID card and provide proof that their name is included in the latest voter list of any rural municipality or municipality.

Candidates employed by the federal, provincial, or local government, or by any government-funded institution, must provide evidence of resignation from their position before filing their nomination, the EC added.

If a candidate is submitting their nomination through a party representative, a completed nomination form must be provided. 

Each candidate is also required to submit a nomination form endorsed by two supporters, a proposer and a seconder, whose names appear in the final voter list of the constituency.

Candidates backed by political parties must attach a formal nomination letter issued by an authourised official of the party’s central executive committee or equivalent body.

Candidates must also deposit Rs. 10,000 as security with the relevant election officer, although women, Dalit, minority and economically disadvantaged candidates are eligible for a 50 per cent waiver upon submission of proof from the local authority.

No amendment to election schedule

Meanwhile, acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has said that the election schedule, published four months ago, would not be amended.

Speaking on the eve of the nomination process, he said, “The Code of Conduct has been in effect since Sunday midnight. All activities have been carried out according to the schedule. Nominations will be submitted on the designated date, and the election will proceed as planned.”

“There is no alternative to an election other than an election itself,” Bhandari said, emphasising the need for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure the successful completion of the polls.

 Stating that all the preparatory work has been largely completed, Bhandari urged all stakeholders to cooperate fully in the upcoming House of Representatives elections. 

Responding to questions about internal disputes within the Nepali Congress currently under judicial review, Bhandari said that the Commission would refrain from commenting on sub judice matters, stressing that court rulings must be respected by all.

Highlighting the democratic significance of the elections, he said, “The right to vote and stand for election is the essence of democracy. It reflects the free will of the citizens, which cannot be obstructed. Every stakeholder has an equally important role in ensuring a credible election.”

“The right to vote and to stand for election is the foundation of democracy,” he said, noting that the free will of voters must always be upheld.

He further informed that celebratory activities such as processions and public fanfare are strictly prohibited under the Code of Conduct, he informed.