New Eligibility Rules Issued as HoR Election Nears

Kathmandu, Dec 23 — With 72 days remaining for the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5, new guidelines have outlined stricter eligibility criteria for candidates under the proportional representation (PR) electoral system.

According to the House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Guidelines–2082, individuals receiving salaries or wages from institutions operating with grants from federal, provincial, or local governments will be disqualified if they are listed as candidates in the closed list submitted by political parties.

The revised guidelines also bar individuals accused of serious crimes from contesting the election. Those charged with corruption, rape, human trafficking and smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering, passport misuse, or abduction will be deemed ineligible.

Similarly, candidates who have been convicted of any offense will not be allowed to contest if two years have not elapsed since the completion of their sentence, the amendment states.

The guidelines further clarify that candidacy will be automatically cancelled if a person included in a party’s closed list is found guilty of criminal offenses resulting in life imprisonment or a prison term of 20 years, provided the court verdict is final.

The updated provisions are aimed at strengthening the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the upcoming parliamentary polls.