Voting Begins To Fill 17 Vacant Seats In Nepal’s National Assembly

Voting to fill 17 vacant seats in Nepal’s National Assembly, the Upper House of Parliament, began on Sunday morning, as the country moves towards fresh elections following months of political unrest.

According to PTI, of the 18 National Assembly seats that had remained unoccupied, one seat in Koshi province under the Khas Arya category was filled uncontested ahead of polling. Sunil Thapa of the Nepali Congress was elected unopposed for the seat, the Election Commission said.

Polling commenced at 9 am local time and is scheduled to conclude at 3 pm, with results expected to be announced after 5 pm, PTI reported.

The National Assembly election is conducted through an electoral college comprising provincial assembly members, mayors, deputy mayors, and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities, each carrying different voting weightage.

The National Assembly has a total strength of 59 members, with eight elected from each of Nepal’s seven provinces and three nominated by the president. One-third of the Upper House seats fall vacant every two years and are filled through elections, according to PTI.

Elections to the House of Representatives, the Lower House of Parliament, have been scheduled for March 5.

The current round of elections was triggered by the resignation of former prime minister K P Sharma Oli on September 9, following violent protests led by a youth-driven Gen Z movement against his government over allegations of corruption and a ban on social media.

Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed interim prime minister on September 12. Acting on her recommendation, the president dissolved the House of Representatives and announced the election date, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)