KATHMANDU, Jan 26: Voting for 19 vacant posts of National Assembly members will be held from 9 AM today. Voting will be held in eight polling stations and 14 centers in different provinces of the country from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Shaligram Poudel, Spokesperson of the Election Commission informed Repblica that all the preparations for the election management including peace and security and health standards have been completed. Voters have already reached the designated cities of polling stations and centers.
Upper House election starts (Photo feature)
As the tenure of eight members of the CPN (UML), four members of the CPN (Unified Socialist), four members of the CPN (Maoist Center) and three members of the Nepali Congress expires on March 4, the election for these vacancies is about to take place.
There is a provision that the election should be held 35 days before the expiration of the term of the member. Candidates of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Rastriya Janamorcha, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Prajatantra Party are contesting for the posts.
There are 2,025 voters for the election. They are Province Assembly members, and local level chiefs and deputy chiefs.
There is a quota of seven women, three Dalits, two disabled or minority and seven others for the upper house. There is the constitutional provision that the term of one-third of national assembly members expires every two years. The upper house of the federal parliament has a total of 59 members.
