Kathmandu — With the date for the House of Representatives election already announced, the Election Commission has called on political parties to complete their registration without delay.

According to the commission, there are no legal hurdles for registering new political parties, but due to time constraints, it has urged interested groups to prepare and apply promptly. Among the parties already registered, the commission will publish a notice to confirm which of them intend to participate in the election scheduled for March 5 (Falgun 21). Only those listed parties will be allowed to re-register for the upcoming polls.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari stated that any political group wishing to form a new party can now apply. As per the Political Parties Act 2017, a party must submit its statute, manifesto, flag, and election symbol along with signatures from at least 500 Nepali voters, certified copies of their citizenship or voter IDs, and proof they are not members of another party. A central committee with at least 21 members is also required.

Currently, 122 political parties are registered with the Election Commission. The election period will officially begin on Kartik 20, 120 days before polling, as defined by the Election Commission Act 2017. Once the period begins, the commission will start formal election programs, including the party registration process.

Meanwhile, the government has cleared legal hurdles to update the voter roll through an ordinance, after protests from the “Gen Z Movement” raised concerns that young voters might be excluded. Voter roll collection will now resume until the end of Kartik, allowing new voters to be included.