Polling opened today Thursday Dec 07,2017 in 45 districts of Nepal for the second and last phase of the historic provincial and parliamentary elections that many hope will bring the much-needed political stability to the Himalayan nation.
More than 12.2 million voters are eligible to exercise their voting rights in the second phase of the polls. The voting is taking place for 128 constituencies of Parliament’s House of Representatives and 256 seats of Provincial Assemblies in 45 districts.
In total 4,482 candidates, including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, will be trying their fate in the final phase. For the House of Representatives, 1,663 candidates are contesting and 2,819 candidates are trying for the Provincial Assemblies.
As many as 15,344 polling centres have been set out for the polling that started early today amid tight security and will continue till 5 pm.
Vote counting is expected to start later today.
The first phase of the polls in the land-locked country was successfully held in 32 districts on November 26,2017
How does the voting work?
Each voter will be given two ballot papers for the two methods (FPTP and PR). A party has to cross the election threshold of 3 percent of the overall valid vote to be allocated a seat under the PR method.
Forms of government
A multi-party, federal democratic republic and parliamentary form of government will be in effect.
Federal parliament (HoR+NA) will elect a prime minister, who is the real executive head. The leader of the party that wins a simple majority is invited to form the government.
Members of the HoR are elected for a five-year term.
The National Assembly (NA) is a permanent body, with 56 members chosen by an electoral college consisting of PA members and village and municipal executive members. Three members are nominated by the president. It has a term of six years, with one-third of its members retiring every two years on a rotational basis.
The president and vice president are constitutional posts with nominal power. They are elected by an electoral college formed by the HoR, NA and PA members.
The members of the PA choose chief ministers to run the respective provinces.
A total of 753 local units, spread across 77 districts in seven provinces, have been elected to run the village and municipal administration.
The main political parties
- Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Maoist-Leninist)
- Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)
- Nepali Congress party
- Rastriya Prajatantra Party
- Nepal Sadbhawana Party
- Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal
- Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum (The Federal Socialist Forum)
- Naya Shakti Party (New Force Party)
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