NA elections: Gandaki prepares for three seats

KATHMANDU: Under the elections of National Assembly (NA) members scheduled for January 26, the Gandaki Province will be holding the election for three seats in the Upper House.

The Election Commission has planned the elections for the posts turning vacant with 20 members completing their four-year term in the first week of March.

The election to NA consisting 59 members was held on February 7, 2018, following the promulgation of the Constitution and 14 members (one Dalit and one from the persons with disabilities or minorities from each Province) were elected on the basis of majority of votes by an electoral college composed of members of the Province Assembly, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the rural municipalities, mayors and deputy-mayors of the municipalities.

Likewise, 42 (three women from each Province and three from other groups) on the basis of single transferable votes.

Three members, including one woman, were nominated by the President. As per the Constitution, the term of office of the members of the National Assembly shall be six years while the term of office of one third of the members shall expire in every two years. Arrangements shall be made by drawing lots to retire one-third of the members on the expiry of two years, another one-third on the expiry of four years, and the final one-third on the expiry of six years.

According to the Province Election Office, Gandaki, two members from the CPN (Maoist Center) and one from CPN (Unified Socialist) will be retiring in March.

Maoist Center’s Dinanath Sharma was elected towards ‘other group’ and Khim Kumar BK was elected from the ‘Dalit’ quota while Shanti Kumari Adhikari from the Unified Socialist is from the ‘women quota’.

Some pre-voting procedures, including the establishment of the office of election officer, and publication of voters’ name list have been completed and January 4 has been fixed as the day for filing the candidacies.

As per the provision, the election of NA member shall be conducted before 35 days of the seat turning vacant.