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Prime Minister Sushila Karki has asserted that the election to the member of  the House of Representatives (HoR) announced for March 5 is the only legitimate outlet to protect the country from constitutional uncertainty. 

In her address to an all-party meet held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Wednesday, she urged all the political parties to participate in the election process in a timely and responsible manner. 

Noting that the incumbent government was formed on the foundation of the genuine voice of the young generation and the movement against decade-long political irregularities, she said, “Youths have imparted a message. It's enough now. The politics of corruption, bad governance and undue access does not work from now onwards”. 

Based on this historical mandate, the President announced the election for March 5 by dissolving the HoR to give a political outlet taking into consideration the immediate need, the PM added. “The announcement was the only mandatory move to protect the country from the constitutional crisis and keep the country intact on the democratic track”, the PM claimed. 

The country has stood in the decisive mode and the gathering today is not only a ritual but a shared platform and opportunity to demonstrate high political resolution to ascertain the future of the democracy, the PM further said. “All should give the answer of the question whether to shape the democratic future or push it to the path of further uncertainty”. 

Saying that successful conduct of the HoR member election in the stipulated time (March 5) was the government’s constitutional obligation and solemn commitment towards the people, she said there is no confusion and deviation from this stance.  “Our commitment to election compulsion is strong and clear”, she said, adding the uncertainty seen among some political parties with the demand for parliament reinstatement and questioning over  legality of the government can bring the country to the state of instability. “We therefore should engage our political debate for election or the constitutional way out”, PM Karki further said. 

There is no alternative to the forces having conviction on democracy to abstain from the elections, she viewed, urging the parties to not deviate from their constitutional obligation by voicing for the reinstatement of the parliament. 

The PM went on saying, “Without participation and support of the political parties it is impossible to envision the election. I humbly request the political parties to ensure registration at the election commission within November 26 for election purpose”. 

She argued that this is not only an administrative process but also a test of the minimum political commitment towards the nation. “Not registering the parties or boycotting the election would be considered a choice of anarchy rather than a commitment to the protection of democracy”. 

Also on the occasion, the PM shared her grievance to the malicious expressions made by some leaders which she said has polluted the social environment. 

The PM asserted that the government would fully help the election commission to take action against those making such hate speech in a way to breach the election code of conduct. 

Stating that the incumbent government is oriented towards maintaining security and good governance in the country, Prime Minister Karki mentioned that the election would not be successful without establishing the political parties' confidence over it. 

She shared that the recently held Gen Z protest had called for an end to the trend of protecting brokers, middlemen and the corrupted. "We fully respect this voice. Youth dissatisfaction is not only the problem of legal provision. This is demand for structural and political resolution," opined PM Karki. 

Stating that the government wants to transform youths' aggression into positive energy through the ballot, she said that the government has been working to reform election laws through ordinance to increase youths' participation in the election. 

The government has been carrying out fair investigation into violent incidents that occurred during the Gen Z protest and bring the guilty under the ambit of law, the Prime Minister shared, adding the National Vigilance Centre is going to be empowered to carry out close monitoring of the impartiality of the activities of the public bodies. 

"Holding elections in a peaceful and fearless environment is the high-priority of the government. An environment will be created where every citizen can cast votes without any fear, for this any political dispute and anarchy shall be addressed," argued the PM. 

She said mobilization of security personnel in plain clothes and intelligence officers has been increased, keeping the districts, which are categorized as sensitive in view of security for risk management, as 'hot-spot'. "The government has been coordinating with the Election Commission to resolve problems related to election management in mountain districts." 

The Prime Minister further said initiatives are being taken for discussion with all sides in order to control political violence and confrontation. "This government is a bridge built for democratic outlets. Its success and utility depends on political determination and restoration of people's trust", she viewed, urging leaders of all political parties to be united in this big moment of national consensus. 

"I urge for cooperation and full commitment to fulfill the constitutional responsibility by registering parties within November 10 and taking part in the election on March 5 in a peaceful, economical and reliable manner," said Prime Minister Karki.

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday.

According to the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the meeting has been called for 4 pm at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today to discuss the current government's priorities.

The interim government, headed by Prime Minister Karki, is committed to ensuring the successful conduct of the House of Representatives election set for March 5.

Will the election take place on March 5 as announced by the government? It depends on whom you ask. If you ask ministers and government officials, they insist it will definitely happen.

If you speak with representatives of political parties, you get a mixed response. Many leaders of the CPN-UML reject outright the possibility of elections on March 5, arguing that the current government has no intention of holding them. The Nepali Congress does not oppose elections, but the party remains divided internally. Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal was the first among major parties to validate this government and publicly commit to supporting the elections.

Meanwhile, the GenZ groups, which are split into more than 40 factions, also remain divided. However, they share one common position: before holding elections, there must be an agreement between them and the government on institutionalizing the GenZ movement. Many groups are even refusing to participate, saying that joining elections without laying the groundwork for systemic change would be meaningless.

The international community is broadly in favor of holding the elections on time, emphasizing that they must be free and fair with a level playing field for all actors. Nepal’s neighbors, India and China, also support early elections, believing they will bring relative stability to Nepal. However, China stresses that major political parties must participate. UN Office in Kathmandu is in consultations with 

Kathmandu-based Ambassadors to make a common position on Nepal’s election.. 

Both the government and the Election Commission (EC) are pressing ahead with preparations. In a recent meeting with civil society leaders, Prime Minister Sushila Karki sounded confident that elections will take place, now only three months and nineteen days away. Government ministers and officials remain optimistic.

Security remains a key concern for the March 5 elections. The government says it is preparing a full-fledged security plan, seeking an increased role for the Nepali Army in the integrated security arrangement being drafted by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Regarding police logistics, officials say Nepal has already written to India and China seeking support, and they expect necessary supplies to arrive soon. Preparations are also underway to recruit temporary police personnel for the election period.

The EC is making all required preparations. The voter-list update is underway, with around 300,000 new voters already added. The EC has published the detailed election schedule, with nominations for both First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) beginning on Jan 20. Party registration is also ongoing. However, substantial dialogue between the government and political parties to create a conducive environment is lacking, though PM Karki is in regular contact with second-tier leaders of major parties.

The second-largest party, CPN-UML, rejects the possibility of elections entirely, claiming that the government intends to extend its tenure by repeatedly postponing elections, similar to what happened in Bangladesh. The UML is in talks with the Nepali Congress to forge a common position. The party argues that both should press for the restoration of Parliament, on which the Supreme Court has already begun hearings. The UML has rejected both the current government and the GenZ movement, insisting that all political processes, including elections, should begin only after Parliament is restored. Its dissolved parliament members are meeting daily. At the same time, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire, also from UML, has strongly endorsed holding elections.

The Nepali Congress is embroiled in internal conflict tied directly to the elections. General Secretary Gagan Thapa wants the party to elect new leadership through a general convention before going to polls, while leaders aligned with Sher Bahadur Deuba want to hold the convention only after the elections. If elections are indeed happening on March 5, the NC is running out of time to organize its convention. There is, however, a strong sentiment within the party that it should participate in the elections to bring the constitution back on track.

CPN (Maoist Center) leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who initially sounded confident about the elections, has gradually shifted his stance and now says that political consensus is needed before moving ahead.

Amid such uncertainty, what are the possible scenarios for Nepal? The first scenario is the elections will take place on March 5 with participation from all political parties, including the UML. This is the ideal situation. If this happens, it would likely steer the country back onto the constitutional path and reduce internal party conflicts. The outcome could be the rise of new political forces, weakening the dominance of major parties like the NC, UML, and Maoists.

The second scenario is that the elections will be held without CPN-UML’s participation. This is possible, as there is sentiment within the government that if the NC participates, elections should proceed, even without the UML participation. However, this could trigger election-related violence, as the UML is likely to retaliate strongly. Compared to others, the UML has already revived its organizational structures from the center down to local levels and is actively mobilizing through street protests.

The third scenario is the government and political parties will agree to postpone the elections by a few months, ensuring participation of all major parties. Under this arrangement, the Karki government may continue, or a new consensus-based government could be formed to announce fresh election dates.

The fourth scenario is neither elections nor Parliament restoration will take place. This would invite deeper chaos and political instability, putting the constitution and the current system at serious risk.

For now, neither the government nor political leaders can completely dismiss the possibility of March 5 elections, nor can they confidently assert that the environment is conducive for holding them. Nepal has held elections amidst uncertainty before—in 2008, 2013, and 2017—and the same may yet happen again.

Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has said that the party will neither bow down nor be deceived as the dispute over the upcoming convention continues to intensify.

In a video message posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Thapa warned that if the regular general convention does not take place on Dec 31, the party will have no choice but to call a special general convention.

He stressed that the ongoing debate is not merely about fixing a date but about determining the future direction of party reform.

Calling for patience from party leaders and workers, Thapa said the NC will enter the upcoming House of Representatives elections with renewed energy and a reformed organizational spirit.

“We will go to the elections with new energy and a transformed Congress,” he said. “When we stand for the truth, the party becomes stronger.”