Parliamentary and provincial elections are expected to take place by the mid of November.

Kathmandu: In yesterday’s meeting of the ruling alliance’s coordination committee, Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Paudel requested that the parliamentary and provincial elections be held between mid-October and mid-November.

Durga Paudel, a Rastriya Janamorcha lawmaker who was present at the ruling alliance’s meeting, said Paudel broached the topic informally, and almost all leaders agreed that elections should be held by mid-November.

According to the legislation, lawmakers’ terms begin on the day the election results are declared, not when the swearing ceremony is held, according to Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya.

As per Thapaliya, the government has yet to consult the EC on a date for the election. The EC need at least 120 days to prepare for the election. Thapaliya said the government should settle on the polling date after analyzing the security situation. By December 1, he expects polls to be conducted.

“We had security concerns in several places during the recently conducted municipal elections, and we do not want to have such problems in future polls,” Thapaliya stated. To ensure adequate poll security, he suggested that the government should organize provincial and parliamentary elections in two phases. 

If parliamentary and provincial elections were held in two phases, Thapaliya said the EC would hold the first phase in the mountain region to avoid the cold weather. Snowfall in Himalayan districts in December may have an impact on voter turnout.

Tags: Elections, Lawmakers, Nepali Congress, Parliament, Province