Chief Election Officer offices to be established today
The offices for the Chief Election Officer and Election Officer across all 165 constituencies will be established today in preparation for the House of Representatives elections set for March 5.
Kul Bahadur GC, the Assistant spokesperson for the Election Commission, said that the Chief Election Officer’s office will be located in the district headquarters, while Election Officer Offices will be set up in constituencies beyond the headquarters.
In total, there will be 77 Chief Election Officer Offices situated in district headquarters, alongside Election Officer Offices in 88 constituencies outside these headquarters.
The Chief Election Officer office will be led by the Chief Judge of the District Court, with 77 Chief District Judges appointed as Chief Election Officers and 88 second-class judiciary service officers designated as Election Officers.
Returning Officers offices set up in Kaski for March 5 HoR elections
The Returning Officers offices are to be set up in Kaski for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.
Assistant Chief District Officer of Kaski Chitrangad Baral said that the offices of the returning officers will be established in Kaski district having three constituencies for the HoR elections today.
The office for the Kaski Constituency-1 will be set up at the Animal Research and Training Center, Ramghat while for Constituency-2, it will be at the Federal Water Resources and Irrigation Management Office, Damsite; and for Constituency-3, it will be at the building of the Provincial Agriculture Ministry in Malepatan.
Sons rise against fathers
Ahead of the crucial March 5 elections, Nepal’s largest political party, the Nepali Congress (NC), has plunged into a deep internal crisis following a formal split. The rupture has thrown the electoral process into uncertainty and exposed a widening generational divide within the party. Two rival factions—one led by party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and the other by General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa—are now locked in a legal and constitutional battle for legitimacy. Gagan Thapa is 49 years old, while the current party president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, is nearing 80.
The establishment faction has expelled Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, accusing them of organizing a special convention in violation of the party statute. In response, the Thapa-led faction has claimed overwhelming support within the party, asserting that it commands the backing of nearly 67 percent of the General Convention representatives. The faction has already elected a new Central Working Committee (CWC) through the convention and submitted its updated documentation to the Election Commission (EC), seeking official recognition.
The immediate authority to decide the party’s legitimacy lies with the Election Commission, which will examine the submitted documents and consult both factions. However, any party dissatisfied with the EC’s decision is almost certain to challenge it at the Supreme Court (SC), making the judiciary the ultimate arbiter. This legal uncertainty has placed the party—and the broader electoral process—in a precarious position.
At the heart of the split lies a generational conflict sharpened by the GenZ–led youth movement of Sept 8–9. Young leaders had demanded swift leadership change, greater internal democracy, and ownership of the reform agenda raised by youth activists. Instead of accommodating these demands, senior leaders who are above 70 years consolidated control, rejecting calls for a special convention despite provisions in the party statute. The refusal ultimately triggered the breakaway led by Thapa, symbolizing a broader struggle between reformist youth leaders and the party’s old guard.
The timing of the split is very meaningful. Candidate nominations under the Proportional Representation (PR) system have already been finalized and cannot be altered unless the entire electoral process is cancelled. Meanwhile, the deadline for nominations under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system is just six days away, leaving the NC with only a narrow window to resolve its internal dispute and finalize candidates. Given the legal and constitutional complexities involved, it appears highly unlikely that the matter can be settled within the next four to five days.
If the dispute remains unresolved, both factions are expected to proceed independently, each claiming to be the legitimate Nepali Congress. This raises serious questions: Which faction will the EC recognize for electoral purposes? Can the EC and the government proceed with elections without the participation of the country’s largest party? Or will the election calendar have to be revised?
The EC is constrained by time. With less than 50 days remaining before the scheduled polls, extending deadlines or granting additional time may not be feasible. While elections could theoretically be postponed to April or May, such a move could invite constitutional challenges, as the current government is mandated to hold elections within six months of its formation.
If elections proceed as scheduled amid this chaos, the Nepali Congress is likely to suffer significant electoral damage.
EC sets responsibilities of returning officers for HoR elections
The Election Commission (EC) has explicitly stipulated the duties, responsibilities and authorities of the returning officers for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections announced for March 5.
According to the EC-determined 'HoR Member Voting Directive, 2082', the returning officers, once appointed, shall participate in the election related training program and receive the election materials after verifications.
Likewise, the directive has specified an arrangement that the election officers shall receive other election materials related to voters' ID card and polling centers after verifications.
The returning officers shall reach the designated polling center and coordinate with the assistant returning officers, other staff, and security personnel assigned.
The designated officer shall reach the stipulated site to set up the polling center, and in cases voting cannot take place at the assigned polling center due to security, geographical difficulties, or any other reasons, another polling center needs to be established immediately, the directive stated.
And, this information shall be promptly conveyed to the chief election officer, it is noted.
Voter identity cards must be distributed in advance before the polling day.
Staff and volunteers assigned to the polling center must be allocated tasks and involved in the voting work.
The directive has arranged that before giving the ballot paper to the voters, signatures must be placed on the ballots, and the polling process must be carried out efficiently with vigilance, monitoring of the polling activities, and informing the election officer about the activities on polling day from time to time.
On voting day, the returning officer must inform various mobile teams, observers, journalists, facilitators, and security personnel coming to the polling center about the voting situation, ensure full compliance with the election code of conduct, prevent any illegal activities, and perform such tasks.
Similarly, before and after voting, they must have the ballot boxes and other election materials properly documented and submit them securely to the election officer.
Likewise, it is the duty of the returning officer to exercise the powers provided under the Election (Offenses and Punishment) Act, 2073 BS, and to ensure that the election is conducted in a free, fair, and independent manner.
