nepal elections today

Nepal Elections: PM Deuba’s Nepali Congress Emerges as Single-Largest Party

Political instability has been a recurrent feature of Nepal’s Parliament since the end of the decade-long Maoist insurgency, and no prime minister has served a full term after the civil war ended in 2006.

Kathmandu: The ruling Nepali Congress led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday maintained its position as the single largest party by winning 53 of the 165 seats in the parliamentary polls held to end the prolonged political instability that has plagued the Himalayan nation.

Elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and seven provincial assemblies were held on November 20. The counting of votes started on Monday.

The Nepali Congress has won 53 seats and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML) secured 42 seats in the elections. The CPN-Maoist has emerged as the third largest party with 17 seats while the CPN-Unified Socialist has bagged 10 seats.

The newly-formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party have won 7 seats each. Independent and other smaller parties have emerged victorious on 21 seats. Out of the total 165 seats under direct voting, the results for 8 seats are still awaited.

The ruling five-party alliance has won 85 seats, against 55 seats won by the alliance led by CPN-UML. The ruling alliance includes the Nepali Congress led by Prime Minister Deuba, CPN-Maoist led by Pushpakamal Dahal Prachanda, CPN-Unified Socialist headed by Madhav Nepal, Mahantha Thakur’s Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janamorcha led by Chitra Bahadur.

The vote count under the proportional representation to the elections of the HoR and the province assemblies is ongoing. Out of over 17.9 million registered voters, the voter turnout was 61 per cent, according to the Election Commission (EC).

So far, approximately 80% of the votes were counted, the Himalayan Times newspaper quoted EC’s Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Paudel as saying.

Approximately 2.4 million votes remain to count.

Under the proportionate voting method, the CPN-UML got the first position, securing more than 2.5 million votes and the Nepali Congress received 2.3 million votes. The CPN-Maoist and RSP have secured one million each.

In the 275-member House of Representatives, 165 will be elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be elected through a proportional electoral system. A party or a coalition needs 138 seats for a clear majority.

Besides Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Deuba, three former prime ministers – Prachanda, Oli and Madhav Nepal – have also been elected to parliament.

Deuba and Prachanda met at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Saturday and agreed to continue the five-party alliance as part of a new majority government in the country.

The former prime minister and senior leader of CPN-Unified Socialist Jhalanath Khanal lost the election. CPN-UML’s Mahesh Basnet defeated Khanal, who contested from Ilam constituency No 1.

Ex-prime ministers Lokendra Bahadur Chand, a senior leader of the pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Baburam Bhattarai did not contest the election.

Bhattarai fielded his daughter Manushi Yami Bhattarai. Manushi, who contested from Kathmandu – 7 constituency, lost the election.

She secured the third position in the Kathmandu – 7 constituency from where Ganesh Parajuli of the RSP was elected.

The frequent changes and fighting among parties have been blamed for the country’s slow economic growth.

The next government will face challenges of keeping a stable political administration, reviving the tourism industry and balancing ties with neighbours – China and India.

(PTI)

Nepal: As Ruling Alliance Heads Towards Majority Deuba’s Nepali Congress Could Be Largest Party

Nepali Congress has won 39 seats under the direct voting system. Its alliance partners CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-Unified Socialist have won 12 and 10 seats respectively.

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress-led ruling coalition was on Friday heading towards winning a clear majority in Nepal’s parliamentary elections with the alliance bagging 64 seats out of the 118 declared

In the 275-member House of Representatives, 165 will be elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be elected through a proportional electoral system.

A party or a coalition needs 138 seats to win a clear majority.

Nepali Congress was set to emerge as the single-largest party after winning 39 seats alone under the direct voting system.

Its alliance partners – CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-Unified Socialist have won 12 and 10 seats respectively.

The Lokatantrik Samajwadi and Rastriya Janamorcha have bagged two and one seat respectively. They are all part of the ruling alliance.

The Opposition alliance led by the former premier K.P. Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML has bagged 35 seats.

The CPN-UML has won 29 seats. Its partners – the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Janata Samajwadi Party – have won four and two seats respectively.

The newly-formed Rastriya Swatantra Party has won seven seats. Lokatantrai Samajwadi Party and Janmat Party – both Madhesi parties – have won two and one seat respectively.

Nagarik Unmukti Party has bagged two seats and Janamorcha and Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party have received one each. Five seats were won by independents and others.

Elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and seven provincial assemblies were held on Sunday. The counting of votes started on Monday.

(Shirish B Pradhan)

Nepal Elections: Deuba Elected With Huge Margin, Nepali Congress Party Leading

The ruling Nepali Congress has so far bagged 11 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) while it is leading in 46 other constituencies.

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected on Wednesday with a huge margin of votes from the Dadeldhura constituency in far west Nepal for the seventh consecutive time, with his Nepali Congress party leading in the election tally by winning 11 seats so far.

Elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and seven provincial assemblies were held on Sunday. The counting of votes started on Monday.

Deuba secured 25,534 votes against his nearest rival Sagar Dhakal, 31, an independent candidate who received 1,302 votes. Deuba has never lost any parliamentary election in the five decades of his political career.

The 77-year-old Nepali Congress president Deuba is currently holding the post of Prime Minister for the fifth term.

Dhakal is a young engineer, who had a verbal squabble with Deuba during a public debate at a BBC’s Sajha Sawal programme five years ago, after which he decided to challenge Deuba saying that now youths should get a chance in politics and senior people like Deuba should retire.

The ruling Nepali Congress has so far bagged 11 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) while it is leading in 46 other constituencies.

The CPN-UML led by former prime minister K P Oli has so far bagged three seats and is leading in 42 constituencies.

The newly formed Rastriya Swotantra Party has won three seats in the Kathmandu district.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party, CPN-Unified Socialist and Nagarik Unmukti Party have bagged one seat each. So far, 20 seats of HoR have been declared.

Out of 275 Members of Parliament, 165 will be elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be elected through a proportional electoral system. Similarly, out of a total of 550 members of the seven provincial assemblies, 330 will be elected directly and 220 will be elected through the proportional method.

(PTI)

Nepal Election: One Dead in Violent Clash, Nationwide Voter Turnout at 61%

A 24-year-old was killed after being shot dead at a polling station in Nateshwari Basic School of Tribeni Municipality in Bajura.

Kathmandu: About 61 per cent polling was recorded on Sunday in Nepal’s parliament and provincial assemblies elections, marred by sporadic violence and clashes that left one person dead and disrupted voting at several polling stations, officials said.

The polling started at 7 am local time at over 22,000 polling centres and closed at 5 pm.

“The nationwide voter turnout has stood at around 61 per cent. This is likely to increase slightly as we continue receiving details from districts across the country,” Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya told reporters.

“This is certainly less than what we had expected,” he added.

The voter turnout is significantly lower as compared to the past two elections – 77 per cent in 2013, and 78 per cent in 2017.

More than 17.9 million voters were eligible to cast their votes to elect a 275-member House of Representatives and provincial assemblies.

Also Read: All You Need to Know as Nepal Goes to the Polls

Thapaliya said the elections were held largely in a peaceful manner except for a “few minor incidents”. He said that voting has been postponed in 15 polling stations in four districts as a result of such incidents.

He said the Election Commission has directed the concerned election offices in those districts to make necessary arrangements to hold the elections within two days.

One person was killed after being shot dead at a polling station in Nateshwari Basic School of Tribeni Municipality in Bajura. The 24-year-old man was shot dead by the police following a dispute between two groups after the voting was over, officials said.

A minor explosion took place near Sharda Secondary School polling station in Dhangadhi Sub-metropolitan City in Kailali district. However, there was no casualty, they said, adding that voting continued in the polling station despite the incident with just half-an-hour interruption.

Some incidents of heated arguments between party cadres were reported from 11 areas in Dhangadi, Gorkha and Dolakha districts. However, it did not affect the polling, they said.

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) president Sher Bahadur Deuba cast his ballot in his home district Dadeldhura. He voted at the Ashigram Secondary School polling centre at Ruwakhola in Ganyapdhura rural municipality-1 in the morning. Deuba had studied at this school.

Deuba has continuously won the election from Dadeldhura since 1991. He is running for the federal parliament member for the seventh time in this election, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported.

Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) chairman and former prime minister K P Sharma Oli cast his ballot at the polling centre situated in Suryabinayak Municipality in Bhaktapur district near Kathmandu.

Talking to reporters after casting his vote, Oli said that his CPN-UML-led alliance will secure a clear majority and form the next government by December 1.

“The UML will form a majority government, or at least a coalition government comprising parties that have forged an alliance with us in the elections,” he said.

CPN-Maoist Centre chairman and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” cast his vote at the polling centre located at Bharatpur Municipality in Chitawan district.

“It is most likely that the next government will be formed under the leadership of the Nepali Congress and I will contest for the post of Parliamentary Party leader to forward my claim for the top executive position,” NC general secretary Gagan Thapa said after casting his vote in Kathmandu constituency No. 4.

Another NC leader and former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh said the leaders of the five-party alliance will sit together to decide who will lead the next government and chalk out the future course of action.

Out of a total of 275 Members of Parliament, 165 will be elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be elected through a proportional electoral system.

At the same time, voters also voted to elect representatives to seven provincial assemblies.

Out of a total of 550 members of the provincial assemblies, 330 will be elected directly and 220 will be elected through the proportional method.

Political observers closely watching the elections have predicted a hung parliament and a government that is unlikely to provide the required political stability in Nepal.

The frequent changes and fighting among parties have been blamed for the country’s slow economic growth.

There are two major political alliances contesting the polls — the ruling Nepali Congress-led democratic and leftist alliance and the CPN-UML-led leftist and pro-Hindu, pro-monarchy alliance.

Nepali Congress led by Prime Minister Deuba, 76, has formed an electoral alliance with former Maoist guerrilla leader Prachanda’, 67, against former premier Oli, 70.

The Nepali Congress-led ruling alliance includes CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, and Madhes-based Loktantrik Samajwadi Party while the CPN-UML-led alliance includes pro-Hindu Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Madhes-based Janata Samajwadi Party.

The next government will face challenges of keeping a stable political administration, reviving the tourism industry and balancing ties with neighbours — China and India.

Out of a total of 2,412 candidates contesting the election for federal Parliament, 867 are independents.

Among the major political parties, the CPN-UML has fielded 141 candidates while the Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre have fielded 91 and 46 candidates respectively.

Security has been stepped up in all 77 districts across the country with air-patrolling around polling stations and closing of international borders for 72 hours.

(PTI)

Test of Democracy as Nepal Votes Today to Elect Over 35,000 Local Representatives

These elections hold significance as they mark the first periodic polls of the federal republic.

Nepal is voting today, May 13, to elect people’s representatives to 753 local governments across the country for the next five years. This is the second time people are voting in local elections after the promulgation of the constitution in 2015 and the fourth time since the restoration of democracy in 1990.

Friday’s local elections hold significance as these will mark the first periodic polls, which are the hallmark of democracy, of the federal republic.

The 2017 local elections were held after a gap of 20 years. However, the country is holding the elections now exactly after five years.

Nepali politicians’ squabbling and haggling in the lead up to the elections may have left some people disenchanted, but that the elections are finally taking place is a step towards strengthening grassroots democracy, observers and analysts say.

“Timely elections are the backbone of democracy. It is good that the country is voting on Friday despite speculations until a few weeks back that it could be postponed,” Meena Vaidya Malla, a professor and former chief of the Department of Political Science at the Tribhuvan University, said.

After years of struggle, Nepal, a unitary state ruled by the Shah dynasty, was restructured in a bid to improve governance, development and quality of services to the people. Accordingly, three tiers of government were envisioned – starting with one federal at the centre, seven at the provincial level and 753 at the local level.

Political experts say local elections are important because it is the local governments that connect the state with the people.

And it is through the local governments that the state delivers its services to its people. The constitution has bestowed 22 explicit authorities upon the local government which are directly linked with the day to day lives of the general public.

Experts say in federal Nepal all three tiers of government are parallel, functioning autonomously based on the jurisdiction set by the constitution.

“Local elections, therefore, are important in strengthening federalism,” Daman Nath Dhungana, a former House Speaker and civil society member, said. “This will also give momentum to two other elections supposed to be held later this year.”

According to Dhungana, in a democracy citizens elect their leaders to govern the country and periodic elections are the occasions to hold them accountable.

People uphold the leaders and parties by re-electing them if they have worked for their betterment. If not, people penalise them by voting against them and replacing them with other leaders and parties.

It’s for the fear of losing during the next elections that the people’s representatives work for the people during their five-year term, according to experts.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) had emerged as the largest party from the 2017 local elections, winning in 41% of local units while the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) had secured the second and the third positions by registering victory in 32 and 14% of local federal units respectively.

The country’s political scene has changed significantly in the last five years.

The CPN-UML has split into two, of which the breakaway party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, is part of a rival alliance.

A supporter of a faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party holds a party flag as he takes part in a rally celebrating the reinstatement of the parliament by Nepal’s top court in Kathmandu, Nepal February 24, 2021. Photo: Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar

The Congress, the Maoist Centre, the Unified Socialist, the Janata Samajbadi Party and the Rastriya Janamorcha have formed an electoral alliance competing jointly against the UML. The party has also joined hands with some fringe forces like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and the Pariwar Dal in some of the local units.

“The 17.73 million voters on Friday will decide who to reward and who to penalise,” said Dhungana. “This is the most beautiful aspect of democracy.”

Over 35,000 representatives – mayors/chairpersons, deputy mayors/ vice-chairpersons, ward chairpersons and ward members –will be elected by 17,733,723 voters registered for the local elections.

While experts welcome the timely elections, they say the way the parties are treating local elections shows they haven’t understood the true spirit of these polls. They say formation of the alliance in the local election itself is a wrong practice which is going to confuse the voters hugely.

When the parties contest the elections forming an alliance, one party will have candidates in a couple of positions among the seven while other parties will have candidates in other positions though their election symbols will be on the ballot paper for all the positions. The voters will have to remember the candidate and their separate election symbols.

“The confusion will increase the number of invalid votes,” said Dhungana. He said that he is also worried to see the way parties are using money and power to win local elections.

“The way the parties have behaved has made us think if the country should adopt a party-less local election system,” said Dhungana.

Observers say there has been unhealthy competition among parties. According to them, the Election Commission has done precious little to put the parties on check.

“The commission has limited itself to seeking clarifications,” Pradip Pokharel, chairperson of the Election Observation Committee, Nepal, said. “Had the Election Commission taken stern measures in the cases of code of conduct violations, it would even be instrumental in ensuring fair provincial and federal elections.”

Khagendra Prasain, who teaches political philosophy at the Nepal Open University, says local elections are different from two other tiers of election, as they give communities a chance to have their say in how they want to be governed and what the actual local needs are.

“The significance of local elections is they help strengthen grassroots democracy,” Prasain said. “Timely elections make grassroots democracy vibrant. Its importance is even bigger in a country like ours where local governments have huge constitutional authorities.”

This article first appeared on The Kathmandu Post. Read the original here.