Local Level Election Act, 2073

Used on our issue pages

• Identity, inclusion and representation

What does it do?

• The Act governs elections of rural municipality and municipality chairs, vice-chairs, mayors, deputy mayors, ward chairs and members, and district coordination committee officials. Elections must be held within a month before the term of the village or municipal assembly ends; the government fixes the date after consulting the Election Commission and may hold it in phases (normally all local levels of a province in one phase). Vacancies with more than a year left are filled by by-election.गाउँपालिका र नगरपालिकाका अध्यक्ष, उपाध्यक्ष, प्रमुख, उपप्रमुख, वडाध्यक्ष र सदस्य तथा जिल्ला समन्वय समितिका पदाधिकारीको निर्वाचन यो ऐनले व्यवस्थित गर्छ। गाउँ वा नगर सभाको कार्यकाल सकिनुभन्दा एक महिनाअघि निर्वाचन हुनुपर्छ; सरकारले निर्वाचन आयोगको परामर्शमा मिति तोक्छ र चरणबद्ध रूपमा (सामान्यतया एउटा प्रदेशका सबै स्थानीय तह एकै चरणमा) गर्न सक्छ। एक वर्षभन्दा बढी पदावधि बाँकी रहेको रिक्त पद उपनिर्वाचनबाट पूर्ति हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 2–5, pp. 1–5
• Candidates must be Nepali citizens, at least 21 years old and registered voters in the ward, and may not hold paid posts in government, provincial, local or government-funded bodies. When parties file nominations for chair/vice-chair, mayor/deputy mayor and district coordination chief/deputy, 50 per cent of the candidates across these posts must be women (this does not apply if the party fields only one candidate), and for the women ward member posts parties must field at least one Dalit woman.उम्मेदवार नेपाली नागरिक, २१ वर्ष पूरा भएको र सम्बन्धित वडाको मतदाता नामावलीमा नाम भएको हुनुपर्छ, र सरकारी, प्रदेश, स्थानीय वा सरकारी अनुदानप्राप्त संस्थामा पारिश्रमिक पाउने पदमा रहेको हुनु हुँदैन। दलले अध्यक्ष–उपाध्यक्ष, प्रमुख–उपप्रमुख र जिल्ला समन्वय समितिका प्रमुख–उपप्रमुख पदमा मनोनयन गर्दा ५० प्रतिशत महिला उम्मेदवार हुने गरी गर्नुपर्छ (एउटा मात्र उम्मेदवारी दिए यो लागू हुँदैन), र महिला वडा सदस्य पदमा कम्तीमा एक दलित महिला उम्मेदवार दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 12–13, p. 8; Section 17(4)–(5), p. 11
• The Election Commission and its election and polling officers run nominations, withdrawals, polling (including by electronic devices), counting and results, with rules against impersonation, booth capture and damaging ballot boxes, and ties decided by lot. Losing candidates forfeit their deposit below a set vote share, election records are confidential, and the Commission may issue orders, directions and procedures; election disputes go to the provincial High Court.निर्वाचन आयोग र यसका निर्वाचन तथा मतदान अधिकृतले मनोनयन, नाम फिर्ता, मतदान (विद्युतीय उपकरणसमेत), मतगणना र नतिजा सञ्चालन गर्छन्; नाम ढाँटी मतदान, मतदान केन्द्र कब्जा र मतपेटिका तोडफोडविरुद्ध व्यवस्था छ, र मत बराबर भए गोला हालेर निर्णय गरिन्छ। तोकिएभन्दा कम मत पाउनेको धरौटी जफत हुन्छ, निर्वाचनका कागजात गोप्य रहन्छन्, आयोगले आदेश, निर्देशन र कार्यविधि जारी गर्न सक्छ, र निर्वाचन विवाद सम्बन्धित प्रदेशको उच्च अदालतले हेर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 7–11, pp. 6–8; Sections 29–71, pp. 17–34; Section 2(क), p. 1

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.

Regulations and rules made under it

• स्थानीय तह निर्वाचन (छैठौं संशोधन) नियमावली, २०८१ Status not yet confirmed
• स्थानीय तह निर्वाचन नियमावली, २०७३ In force