Editing Elections in Nepal (section)

== History ==

=== Rana regime ===
In 1947, the government of prime minister [[Padma Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana|Padma Shumsher]] formed a Constitution Reform Committee under the leadership of General Bahadur Shamsher to reform the administration in the country. The Nepal Government Constitutional Law, 1948 envisioned a [[bicameral legislature]] with the [[lower house]] called Rastra Sabha to have 42 elected members in addition to 28 members nominated by the prime mininster. A provision was also included for an elected Village Panchayat with 5 to 15 members, an elected Municipal Panchayat with 10 to 50 members and an elected District Panchayat with 15 to 20 members. The elections for the bodies would be held on the basis of [[non-partisan democracy]] and all adults would have the right to franchise. The law was promulgated but never came into effect.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=निर्वाचन स्मारिका -२०७६ |url=https://election.gov.np/uploads/content/1594096623_np.pdf |website=Election Commission of Nepal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=नेपालको निर्वाचनको इतिहास |publisher=Election Commission of Nepal |year={{date|2017|2|18}} |isbn=978-9937-0-2116-6 |location=Kathmandu |pages=105–107 |language=ne}}</ref>

=== Transition era ===
The Interim Administration Act of Nepal, 1952 promulgated by [[King Tribhuvan|King Tribhuwan]] after the end of the [[Rana regime]] made provisions an Election Commission for the first time. The act also gave everyone in the country over the age of 21 a right to [[Universal suffrage|adult franchise]]. The [[Constitution of Nepal#Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1959|Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1959]], prepared under the advice of [[Ivor Jennings|Sir Ivor Jennings]] created 109 constituencies in the country and reiterated the right to adult franchise for everyone over the age of 21.<ref name=":2" />

=== Constitutional monarchy era ===
The constitution of 1990 had a provision for a [[Bicameralism|bicameral parliament]]. The [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|House of Representatives]] ([[lower house]]) and the [[National Assembly (Nepal)|National Assembly]] ([[upper house]]). The country was divided into 205 constituencies which would elected members to the House of Representatives for a term of five years. The National Assembly had 60 members, 35 of whom would be elected by the electoral college of the House of Representatives, 3 each from the five [[development regions of Nepal]], 15 in total, which would be elected by an electoral college of village, municipalities and districts and 10 members appointed by the [[King of Nepal|monarch]]. The right to franchise was also extended to everyone over the age of 18.<ref name=":2" />

=== Post Civil War ===
The [[Constitution of Nepal#The Interim constitution of Nepal, 2007|Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007]], promulgated after [[2006 Nepalese revolution|2006 revolution]] had provisions for a [[constituent assembly]] that would draft a new constitution for the newly formed [[republic]]. The country was divided into 240 constituencies which would elect members to the [[Constituent Assembly of Nepal]]. In addition to this 335 seats to the assembly were to be filled using a [[proportional representation system]] and a further 26 members would be appointed. The [[party list]] for the proportional voting had reservations for women, [[Dalit|Dalits]], [[Indigenous peoples]], [[Madheshi people|Madheshis]] and people from [[Backward Area|backward areas]]. Women would also have to make up one-third of the seats in the assembly.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lokhandwala |first1=Zainab |date=5 January 2014 |title=Nepal: The Long Road Ahead - Fair Observer |publisher=Fair Observer |url=http://www.fairobserver.com/region/central_south_asia/nepal-long-road-ahead/ |access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Election to the Members of Constituent Assembly Act, 2064 (2007) |url=http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/site/en/content/election-members-constituent-assembly-act-2064-2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209114950/http://www.lawcommission.gov.np/site/en/content/election-members-constituent-assembly-act-2064-2007 |archive-date=9 February 2015 |access-date=8 February 2015 |publisher=[[Nepal Law Commission]]}}</ref>

=== Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ===
The [[Constitution of Nepal 2015|Constitution of Nepal, 2015]] that was drafted by the [[2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly]] has provisions for a [[bicameral legislature]]. The [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|House of Representatives]] and the [[National Assembly (Nepal)|National Assembly]] would be the lower chamber and the upper chamber of the new [[Federal Parliament of Nepal]]. The country was divided into 165 constituencies which would elect members to the House of Representatives through [[first-past-the-post voting]] and a further 110 members would be elected through the [[party list]] [[proportional representation system]]. The [[Provincial Assembly (Nepal)|provincial assemblies]] were also created for each of the seven [[provinces of Nepal]]. The assemblies would be [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] and would elect 330 members through [[first-past-the-post voting]] and 220 members would be elected through the [[party list]] [[proportional representation system]]. The National Assembly would elect 56 members through an electoral college consisting of members of the lower house, provincial assemblies and the heads and deputy heads of each of the 753 local units in the country.<ref name=":2" />