Balen Government’s Election Bills Passed by Parliament

The House of Representatives has unanimously passed two key election-related bills, clearing the way for major legal changes ahead of Nepal’s upcoming electoral cycle.

Tuesday’s House meeting endorsed the ‘House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Bill, 2083’ and the ‘Voter Roll (First Amendment) Bill, 2083’, both introduced by the government led by Prime Minister and Home Minister Balendra Shah on Baisakh 25.

With passage from the lower house complete, both bills will now move to the National Assembly. If approved there, they will return to the House before being authenticated by the Speaker and sent to the President for final certification. The laws will come into effect after presidential approval.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobita Gautam tabled the proposal on behalf of the government.

The government says the bills are intended to formally legalize provisions that had earlier been brought through ordinances related to election laws.

Questions Raised On Inclusion

During deliberations on the bills, lawmaker Prem Bahadur Bayak raised concerns over representation of persons with disabilities under the proportional electoral system. He argued that participation should be further guaranteed through clearer legal arrangements.

Responding to the concern, Minister Gautam said the current framework had already been designed around population-based inclusion principles. She also indicated that further study and possible reforms could be considered before future elections.

No amendment proposals were registered by lawmakers during clause-wise discussion on the Voter Roll Amendment Bill.

Both bills were passed smoothly without dispute inside the House.

The next meeting of the House of Representatives is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 am.