KATHMANDU, June 5: The Election Commission (EC) has recommended sweeping changes to the country’s political and constitutional structure, including reducing the size of the federal parliament, lowering the minimum age for lawmakers, and restructuring several governing institutions.
In a set of proposals submitted to the government as part of ongoing constitutional review discussions, the EC has suggested that the House of Representatives be significantly downsized from its current 275 members to a much smaller body of 105 lawmakers.
Under the proposed model, 77 members would be elected directly—one from each district—while 28 seats would be allocated through proportional representation based on a single nationwide constituency system.
The EC has also recommended restructuring the National Assembly, reducing its membership from 59 to 30. The revised upper house would include 28 elected members representing provinces and two members nominated by the President, including at least one woman.
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The changes, if implemented, would bring the size of the federal parliament down to 135 members.
Beyond the federal legislature, the EC has proposed further reforms to the provincial and local governance systems. It has suggested removing proportional representation from provincial assemblies and limiting their size to twice the number of constituencies in each province.
At the local level, the EC has recommended shifting toward a non-partisan electoral system. It has also proposed reducing ward committees by cutting the current four-member structure to a chairperson and two members, including at least one woman.
The proposal further calls for the abolition of district assemblies and district coordination committees, arguing that they are no longer necessary.
In a move to broaden political participation, the EC has suggested lowering the minimum age requirement for Members of Parliament from 25 to 21, aligning it with local-level eligibility. It also proposes reducing the age threshold for National Assembly members from 35 to 30.
Another key recommendation includes allowing subject experts to be appointed as ministers at both federal and provincial levels. Under this system, ministers appointed from outside parliament would no longer be required to secure legislative membership within six months, a rule currently in place under constitutional provisions.
To streamline electoral disputes, the EC has proposed creating a specialized tribunal to resolve cases within one year of elections, replacing reliance on constitutional benches. It has also suggested structural changes in constitutional bodies, including reducing the size of the executive officials of the Election Commission itself to a three-member body composed of experts in administration, law, and information technology.
The EC further recommends giving itself full authority to set election dates and take over regulatory oversight of political parties, while also reviewing and reducing the number of constitutional commissions.
It has proposed stricter eligibility criteria for constitutional officeholders, including a minimum master’s degree qualification and an age requirement of 40 years.
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