Civic body chief’s vote to have a weightage of 18

KATHMANDU: The government registered a bill on the election of National Assembly, the Upper House of the Parliament, on Thursday.

A provincial assembly member’s vote has been given a weightage of 48, whereas a vote of chief or deputy chief of  a local level has been proposed to carry a weightage of 18.

As per the bill’s provision, a 2,056-member ‘electoral college’, comprising 550 members of provincial assemblies and 1,506 chiefs and deputy chiefs of 753 local levels, will elect 56 of 59 members of the National Assembly.

Provinces will elect 56 members to the NA, each sending eight by secret ballot, while the remaining three will be nominated by the president as per the recommendation of the government, according to the bill.

According to the bill, formation of electoral college for national assembly polls will not be affected even if a seat of any provincial assembly member, or chief or deputy chief of any local level — rural municipality, municipality, sub-metropolis and metropolis — falls vacant or election to those bodies cannot be held.

The government will announce date(s) for the presidential and national assembly acting on the EC’s suggestions and publish a notice in the national gazette. These two bills need to be passed before the term of the Parliament ends in mid-October.