KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 28 Political parties have begun submitting their closed lists under the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system for the upcoming March 5 election, according to the Election Commission (EC). The EC, the constitutional body mandated to conduct and oversee elections, issued a press statement to this effect today. Some political parties submitted their lists on Sunday itself, as the Commission had set a deadline of 4:00 pm today for submission. Parties may continue to submit their lists until the same time on Monday. In a press statement issued by EC Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, three political parties were reported to have submitted their closed lists in full compliance with the required procedures by Sunday noon. The Nepal Workers Peasant Party, Janapriya Lokatantrik Party, and Shram Sanskriti Party completed the registration process by submitting the necessary documents. The EC subsequently cross-checked the candidates' names to verify whether they were included in the voter list, the statement said. Once submissions are made within the stipulated timeline, the Commission will examine whether the closed lists comply with the prevailing election laws. The EC will then publish the closed lists, followed by the final lists, Spokesperson Bhattarai said. Earlier, 100 political parties had registered to participate in the election under the PR electoral system, with 93 electoral symbols allotted to them. It may be noted that the interim government, formed in the aftermath of the September Gen-Z Movement under the leadership of Prime Minister Sushila Karki, has been mandated to conduct the House of Representatives (HoR) election. Accordingly, the interim government announced that the election would be held on March 5, 2026. More than 18.89 million eligible voters are registered, and each voter will cast two ballots-one under the PR system and the other under the direct electoral system. (With inputs from Rastriya Samchar Samiti)