EC begins preparations for January 25 NA elections

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission has started preparations for the National Assembly (NA) elections scheduled for January 25, 2024.

As part of the election schedule, the Commission will publish the voter list on coming December 16 and appoint election officers on January 1, 2024.

Similarly, the office of election officer will be established in all seven provinces on January 1, 2024 and the date for registering candidacy is January 8.

Following the fixation of the date for the election by the Government of Nepal in consultation with the Commission, they started preparations and the election program was approved by the Commission on November 30, said the Commission spokesperson Shalikram Sharma Paudel.

As per the approved schedule, a notice will be published on December 8 for the political parties to register.

After the registration of the political parties, election symbols will be allocated to the political parties on December 17, and the list of approved political parties will be sent on December 20 to be published in the Nepal Gazette.

As per Article 86 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal, the term of office of one-third of the NA members is about to expire on March 3, 2024, and there is a legal provision that the election must be organised 35 days before the positions go vacant (January 29, 2024) in line with the National Assembly Member Election Act, 2075.

The term of office of the total 20 NA members (19 elected ones and one nominated from the government) is expiring on March 3, 2024.