Election law amended for population-based inclusion

KATHMANDU: The government has made legal provisions to determine population-based percentages under the proportional representation electoral system. For this purpose, the Council of Ministers has endorsed an ordinance and forwarded it to the President for issuance.

Under the ordinance, legal arrangements have been introduced to determine representation quotas for Dalit, Indigenous Nationalities, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, and Muslim communities in elections to the House of Representatives.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to amend the Election Act in line with the final results of the National Census 2078, ensuring that the representation of various groups reflects updated population data.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel stated that the ordinance amends the schedule of the House of Representatives Members Act, 2074, based on the latest population statistics of Dalit, Indigenous Nationalities, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, and Muslim communities.

Following discussions held at the Election Commission, a six-member committee was formed under the coordination of Subhash Kumar Bhattarai, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. The committee included representatives from the Election Commission, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, and the National Statistics Office.

The committee was tasked with determining inclusion-based representation percentages according to the national census and submitting its report within three days. Based on the National Census 2078, the committee finalized the population-based percentages.

Of the 275 members in the House of Representatives, 165 will be elected through the direct electoral system, while 110 members will be chosen through the proportional representation system.

Political parties will be required to submit closed lists of candidates based on the population percentages. The allocation of proportional seats will depend on the votes received by each party. To facilitate this process, the government has introduced the necessary legal arrangements through the ordinance.