KATHMANDU: A delegation including four members of the first Constituent Assembly has demanded that the election law ensure 50 percent women candidates.
The team comprising Renu Chand, Dr. Binda Pandey, Amrita Thapamagar, and Sunil Babu Pant met Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday, calling for legal provisions to mandate that half of the candidates under the direct election system be women.
Although the constitution upholds the principle of proportional inclusion, the delegation said the election law has failed to reflect this spirit and should be amended—even through an ordinance if necessary.
They complained that the lack of a binding provision in the law has allowed political parties to largely exclude women from direct election nominations.
Prime Minister Karki assured the delegation that their demands would be discussed in the Cabinet. She also pointed out that expensive elections have increased corruption and malpractice, stressing the need to explore ways to make elections less costly.
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