4,708 candidates file nomination for second phase of Nepal polls

Kathmandu, November 3: In Nepal, a total of 4,708 candidates have filed nominations for the second phase of federal and provincial elections, to be held on December 7. Nepal Election Commission said in press statement that the nomination process concluded peacefully “with a lot of excitement and huge participation of political parties”.

Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav said that the support the poll body received from all the sides contributed in ensuring the elections on time.

EC officials said the threshold provision for both the FPTP and PR systems discouraged smaller parties and individuals from contesting the elections. Notably, Polling for the first phase will be held in 32 districts on the 26th of next month.

A party needs to secure three percent votes under the PR system to secure seats in the House of Representative while 1.5 percent votes are required to secure seat in the provincial assembly.

Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is contesting from Dadeldhura, which has only one constituency, for the House of Representatives while CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal filed their papers from Jhapa-5 and Chitwan-3 respectively.

Nepal, which was declared a republic nation in 2008, have got two presidents till now - Dr. Rambaran Yadav as the first president and the chairing president Bidhya Devi Bhandari as the second and the first female president of Nepal.

As per the new bill a total of 884 voters, 275 from the House of Representatives, 59 from the National Assembly and 550 members from the Provincial Council will vote to elect the new state and deputy state heads.