- Monday, 15 December 2025
Kathmandu, Dec 10: The Election Commission has received applications from 100 political parties for the proportional election system. These parties submitted their applications before the deadline for the proportional category of the House of Representatives election, which is set for March 5.
The Commission had designated the registration period for parties aiming for the proportional election from 7 to 9 December.
According to the Commission, during this timeframe, a total of one hundred political parties applied for the proportional election system. Among the applicants, there are parties that have opted for a joint election symbol as well as those that have chosen a single election symbol.
The Commission has indicated that it will conduct a thorough review of the applications received and aims to approve them December 12. As per the Commission’s schedule, the closed list for proportional representation is to be submitted on 28 and 29 December.
Following a necessary review of this list, the preliminary list will be released on 19 January. Claims, objections, and required scrutiny will take place regarding this list, with the final list expected to be published on 3 February.
Out of the 275-member House of Representatives, 165 members will be elected through the direct election system, while 110 members will be elected via the proportional representation system.
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PM Karki seeks cooperation from all sides for conducting election timely
Prime Minister Sushila Karki has sought cooperation from all sides to accomplish the election to the House of Representatives (HoR) member in the stipulated time.
The Prime Minister informed that formulation of laws required for the safety and identity of human rights defenders, initiative to make foreign employment safe and dignified, and preparation and implementation of the sixth human rights plan of action are the key priorities of the incumbent government.
In her message of best wishes on the occasion of the 77th International Human Rights Day today, PM Karki reiterated the government’s commitment to place robust measures and actions against corruption while clarifying that maintaining good governance is the goal of the government.
Noting that human rights would not be protected without an enabling environment of transparency and accountability, she said the government is unswervingly moving ahead to this path.
“Free and fair election is the soul of democracy. It is the fundamental duty of the State for creating environment for citizens to select their representatives without fear, greed and pressure. The government is committed to make the upcoming March 5 election further cost effective, transparent and tech-savvy”.
The Head of the Government has expressed her confidence to create atmosphere for security personnel to be deployed for election to deliver with high confidence.
The PM also urged all political parties to unobtrusively participate in the election by assuring the right to vote of the eligible Nepali people and also respect, protect and promote human rights so as to make the democratic exercise such as election a success.
“Nepal’s peace process has inspired the globe, but the backlog of transitional justice is yet to be address. The government is fully aware of the issue. The transitional justice would not be complete until conflict survivors are assured of justice feeling”, she asserted.
The PM expressed her belief that the concerned mechanisms would be successful in bringing the process to confidential end keeping victims at the centre on the basis of the prevailing laws and consensus.
Saying that the government has been emphatically protecting the autonomy, independence and effectiveness of the national human rights commission as a watchdog of democracy, the PM pledged to execute the recommendations of the Commission.
She mentioned that institutional and physical infrastructure, human resources and budget management will be further strengthened to keep the Commission in ‘A’ category.
“Climate change has emerged as another challenge today for the protection of human rights. Although Nepal is a country with minimal carbon emissions, it has had to bear the most severe impacts of climate change. Climate-induced effects such as melting glaciers, unpredictable weather cycles, floods and landslides, and rising temperatures are directly affecting every aspect of our lives, including food security, health, habitation and education”.
She stated that the government is actively moving forward by strengthening national and international partnerships in adaptation, risk reduction, sustainable development, and climate justice.
Prime Minister Karki added that with the core intention of sustainable development goals, the government is continuously moving towards poverty reduction, gender equality, social justice, inclusivity, peace, and prosperity. The obligations under international human rights treaties to which Nepal is a party are being fulfilled in a timely manner, she noted.
“Human rights are not merely the legal arrangements; they should be our social conducts. Sustainable peace, good governance, development and prosperity could be obtained only when we all act together to transform the human rights to everyday culture”, she stated in her message.
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PM Karki vows to make HoR elections more cost-effective and transparent
Prime Minister Sushila Karki has identified corruption as a major bottleneck to development and transformation in recent years.
In her address to an event organized by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in marking thje International Human Rights Day and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she noted that corruption transcends economic implications, posing a serious threat to the fundamental rights of vulnerable, powerless, and marginalized groups.
She noted, “When corruption affects any initiative, ill individuals are deprived of their right to healthcare, and students are barred from receiving quality education; therefore, the government is committed to enforcing the most stringent measures against corruption”.
“Human rights cannot be safeguarded without a basis of transparency and accountability,” emphasized Prime Minister Karki. She underscored that the thrust of democracy is rooted on the conduction of fair elections, asserting that it is the government’s primary duty to foster an environment where citizens can choose their representatives without fear, coercion, or undue influence.
Karki further stated, “The government is devoted to making the forthcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections more cost-effective, transparent, and technology-driven. We call upon all political parties to work together to ensure that the election proceeds as scheduled, and we will establish a supportive atmosphere for the security personnel assigned during this time.
“I also stress the necessity of protecting the voting rights of all adult Nepalis and encourage all political parties to participate freely, ensuring that this democratic process, like any election, is successful while upholding, protecting, and promoting human rights”.
Prime Minister Karki noted that Nepal’s peace process has inspired the international community and recognized that the advancement of transitional justice is currently underway.
She asserted that, as the National Human Rights Commission serves as a guardian institution of democracy, the government has prioritized the protection of its autonomy, independence, and effectiveness, and is dedicated to executing the commission’s recommendations.
Prime Minister Karki noted that in order to uphold the commission’s status in the ‘A’ category, there will be an enhancement of institutional and physical infrastructure, human resources, and budget management.
“Climate change has surfaced as an additional obstacle to the safeguarding of human rights. Despite Nepal being a country with negligible carbon emissions, we have faced the most severe consequences of climate change. Effects induced by climate change, such as the melting of glaciers, erratic weather patterns, floods and landslides, as well as increasing temperatures, are directly influencing every facet of our existence – encompassing food security, health, housing, and education,” she stated.
Stating that climate change was not only an environmental agenda but it is an issue directly linked with human existence and rights, the PM asserted that the government has been actively moving ahead by further strengthening national and international partnership in the areas adaptation, risk reduction, sustainable development and climate justice.
According to her, the government is continuously working to reduce poverty, achieve gender equality, ensure social justice and inclusivity and maintain peace and attain prosperity along with the core spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Head of the Government called for timely fulfillment of all its obligations under the international human rights conventions to which Nepal is signatory party.
She pledged government’s active role in implementation of the recommendations furnished by the committees that formulate treaties and convention.
Furthermore, PM Karki, who was also the first female Chief Justice of the country, said formulation of necessary laws for the protection and recognition of human rights defenders figured in the government’s top priorities.
She added that government seeks to make foreign employment safe and dignified and formulate and effectively implement the Sixth National Human Rights Plan.
On a different note, she underscored the need to make human rights our social character rather than just a legal provision. “We can only achieve sustainable peace, good-governance, development and prosperity when we can transform human rights as a culture of our daily life,” argued PM Karki.
According to her, human rights are not limited to mere survival or existence, they also encompass the right to live with dignity.
Furthermore, the PM viewed that human rights also include the right to question the State’s decisions, enjoy a clean and healthy environment and have an equal access to the digital world.
The PM assured that the government will strongly take into account youth-related issues such as protection of digital rights, right to privacy, promotion and harnessing of youth’s innovative and creative potentials during formulation and implementation of policy.
“The initial concept of human rights primarily emphasized the rights to life and freedom but the definition of human rights has become much broader in the 21st century,” the PM noted.
She observed that the Gen-Z generation, especially our younger generation, does not confine human rights to the legal literatures or texts but view them in terms of practical outcomes.
“The vigilance they are maintaining through social and digital platforms is a beautiful expression of the democracy and I respect it,” remarked the PM.
Karki opined that the values and norms adopted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 had laid a foundation to make today’s human civilization human-oriented.
PM Karki, on the occasion, extended her heartfelt greetings to all the Nepalis sisters and brothers at home and abroad on the behalf of the government.
The Human Rights Day is being celebrated across the world today. Nepal is also marking the Day organizing various activities across the country.
The theme for this year’s Human Rights Day is ‘Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials”.
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