KATHMANDU, Nov 13: The Election Commission (EC) has set eligibility criteria for candidates in the upcoming local level by-elections. In a meeting held on Monday, the EC announced the qualifications for candidates who will be nominated in the by-elections, according to Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Sapkota.
In consultation with the EC, the government has decided to issue directives regarding the eligibility and disqualification of candidates for the local level by-elections scheduled for December 1. The decision was made to direct the political parties participating in the local level by-elections, in accordance with Section 57 of the Political Parties Act, 2073 BS, and the Election Officer’s office, as per Section 40 of the Election Commission Act, 2073 BS.
"The candidates for the upcoming local level by-elections, scheduled for December 1, must be at least 21 years old and their names must be included in the voter list of the concerned ward of the village or municipality where the by-election is being held," said Narayan Prasad Sapkota, assistant secretary and spokesperson. "Additionally, the candidate must not be disqualified by any law."
UML sets criteria for its upper house candidates
Regarding the vacant positions in the local level elections held in 2079 BS, if a male candidate was elected to the post of chairperson or vice-chairperson of a rural municipality, mayor or deputy mayor of a metropolitan city, or the chief or deputy chief of the District Coordination Committee and is currently holding the office, the nomination for the vacant post must be made according to Section 17 of the Local Level Election Act, 2073 BS, and the nomination should be made for a female candidate.
People who are disqualified as per Section 12 of the Local Level Election Act, 2073 BS, non-Nepali citizens, or those who are not a citizen of Nepal, are ineligible to stand as candidates in the local level by-elections. Therefore, they will not be allowed to register for nomination, as stated by the EC.
The EC has stated that individuals who are employed with the Government of Nepal, the provincial governments, or institutions owned or controlled by the Government of Nepal or the provincial governments, or those receiving salaries from such institutions, as well as individuals employed by local governments or institutions owned or controlled by local governments, or those receiving salaries from such institutions, are ineligible to be nominated as candidates in the local level by-elections. Additionally, individuals who have been convicted under the prevailing electoral laws and have not completed the payment of their penalty within two years of serving their sentence will not be eligible to be nominated as candidates in the local level by-elections.
"Individuals who have been convicted of corruption, rape, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, misuse of passports, kidnapping-related crimes, or any other criminal offenses related to moral degradation, and have received a sentence, or have been sentenced to life imprisonment or 20 years or more in prison, are ineligible to be candidates in the local level by-elections," he said. "Furthermore, individuals convicted of organized crime and sentenced to imprisonment, or those convicted of offenses related to homicide and sentenced to less than 20 years of imprisonment, or those convicted of any other offense with a sentence of five years or more, are also ineligible to be candidates if they have not completed six years since serving their sentences."
