Kathmandu: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has expressed the Election Commission (EC)’s full readiness for conducting the upcoming March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) election as per the government’s priority. At a discussion held today at Singha Durbar in the presence of Prime Minister Sushila Karki among the representatives of EC, political parties, Gen Z, and stakeholders, he shared that the EC has completed all preparation required for the general elections. “Four and half months have already elapsed since the government announced the election date. Now we have only two months to go. EC has completed all procedural works except few,” the acting CEC informed.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Bhandari emphasized the potential issues that could arise during election times if the security policy is not immediately amended after the registration of nomination letters by parties. He urged the security-related agencies and the home ministry to make timely necessary preparations. Bhandari further noted that there may be differences in the risk categorization done earlier and stressed the need for gearing up preparations by devising strategies accordingly.
Bhandari highlighted the possibility of changes in the risk landscape due to conflicts and power struggles between old and new forces, suggesting that areas previously considered peaceful might become risky and vice versa. He appealed to everyone to cooperate to ensure the election’s success, emphasizing that elections are the only viable option.
The CEC mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs has provided necessary assurances regarding law and order. Discussions between the Commission and the government have ensured that there are no security weaknesses. He also informed that for the elections scheduled on March 5, 2026, the procedures, directives, and code of conduct have been drafted according to current law, and the code of conduct will be implemented in coordination with party consensus and the government.
During the meeting, the Commission urged political parties not to change the timeline for submitting candidates’ names for the proportional representation electoral system, as such changes could disrupt the election process. Given the short time and limited human resources available for holding the declared election, altering the schedule would cause difficulties, Bhandari clarified.