CA poll bill seeks preparation of closed-list

Kathmandu, March 16:

The bill related to the election of the constituent assembly, which has been tabled at the parliament today, has called for the preparation of the “closed-list” of candidates to be elected as per the proportional electoral system.

“The political parties must consider the proportional representation of women, Dalits, disadvantaged groups and indigenous ethnic minorities, backward region, Madhesis, and other class while preparing the closed-list,” according to the Clause 7 (3) of the new bill.

The “closed-list”, on the other hand, should be prepared in such a way that the candidates are serially numbered as per their priority. The parties are required to mention the names of the candidates, and the group they represent to in the “closed-list”.

Those convicted in corruption charges, the bank defaulters listed in the black-list, and those indicted by the Investigation Commission formed as per the Investigation Commission Act, 2026 as incompetent to contest the CA polls.

The panel was formed to investigate those abusing the authority, power and misusing state’s fund and committing human rights violations during the Jana Andolan II. The bill has also clarified on the nature of the elections, based on the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, as well as the proportional electoral system.

While a candidate, who receives a maximum number of votes, will be elected from one’s respective constituency in the FPTP election system, the candidates in the “closed-list” will be elected as per the votes their parties receive in the election to be held as per the proportional electoral system.