Kathmandu, Dec. 3: The Election Commission has started preparations for the National Assembly (NA) elections scheduled for January 25, 2024.

As part of the election schedule, the Commission will publish the voter list on December 16 and appoint election officers on January 1, 2024.

Similarly, the office of election officer will be established in all seven provinces on January 1, 2024, and the date for registering candidacy has been set for January 8.

After the government, in collaboration with the Commission, determined the election date, preparations were initiated, and the election program received approval from the Commission on November 30, said Shalikram Sharma Paudel, the Commission spokesperson. According to the endorsed timeline, a notice for political parties to register for the election will be issued on December 8.

After the registration of the political parties, election symbols will be allocated to the political parties on December 17, and the list of approved political parties will be sent on December 20 to be published in the Nepal Gazette.

As per Article 86 (3) of the Constitution of Nepal, the term of office of one-third of the NA members is about to expire on March 3, 2024, and there is a legal provision that the election must be organised 35 days before the positions go vacant (January 29, 2024) in line with the National Assembly Member Election Act, 2017.

The term of office of the total 20 NA members (19 elected and one nominated by the government) is expiring on March 3, 2024.