KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has firmly ruled out any possibility of postponing the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, saying the process has reached a point of no return.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Bhandari said preparations for the national polls were already in an advanced stage and dismissed lingering speculation over whether the election would be held. “The debate on whether the election will take place is over,” he said. “There is no turning back from the election now.”
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Bhandari said the Election Commission (EC) has moved decisively on all major fronts, including security arrangements, the election timetable, and the mode of voting. On security, he noted that the government has repeatedly assured full protection for the electoral process and that coordination meetings have already been held at the provincial level.
He also sought to clarify concerns over voting rights for Nepalis living abroad and citizens residing temporarily outside their home constituencies. He said the EC lacks the legal mandate to introduce such provisions. “Drafting election laws is not the Commission’s role,” Bhandari said, adding that while the EC can frame rules and guidelines, the authority to enact laws rests with the government and parliament.
The acting chief commissioner also rejected calls to revise the election timetable, particularly the schedule for submitting proportional representation closed lists, which must be filed on December 28 and 29. He said altering the timeline—despite requests from major parties including the Nepali Congress—could undermine confidence in the March 5 election.
“The election schedule was published in mid-September,” Bhandari said, noting that delays in submitting closed lists have been a recurring problem in previous elections too. “Changing the timetable at this stage could disrupt the entire process.”
Bhandari further dismissed the idea of holding the election in phases, reaffirming that the polls will be conducted nationwide on a single day. “We are committed to starting and concluding the election at the same time across the country,” he said. “There is no plan to change the date. The election will be held as scheduled.”
