Will by-elections ticket distribution in Congress be free from interference?

Kathmandu, November 7 — The tussle over ticket distribution within the Nepali Congress has begun following the Election Commission's announcement of the nomination filing date for the local by-elections scheduled for December 1. The filing date for nominations has been set for November 17, prompting local party committees to submit the names of candidates to higher committees.

As per the party's constitution, lower-level committees are required to recommend a maximum of three candidates, including one woman, for each position. However, due to the large number of aspirants, lower committees have not been able to submit only three names. In the case of Kirtipur Municipality, 11 names have been proposed for the position of mayor.

Kirtipur Municipality President Krishna Man Dangol commented, "Although we tried, we couldn't submit a unanimous name, but we are committed to supporting whoever receives the ticket."

Similarly, for the position of chairperson in Gramthan Rural Municipality of Morang, the Nepali Congress has recommended 13 names. According to the rural municipality's chairperson, Kiran (Tulsi) Bishwas, they plan to finalize one name in the coming days.

In Dolakha's Gaurishankar Rural Municipality, the ticket for the vice-chairperson position has already been decided. According to District President Barma Lama, the district parliamentary committee has decided to award the ticket to Pasa Diki Sherpa.

Party's claim: No interference in ticket distribution

According to the party's constitution, the central leadership is not required to intervene in the ticket distribution process for the local by-elections. The process is meant to be finalized at the local level, with no central interference in the decisions.

Party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat stated, "Since the ticket distribution will follow the party's constitution, there will be no interference from the center. The process will be handled at the local level, and the center will not apply any pressure."

The party has formed a Central Coordination Committee for the local by-elections. The committee is headed by General Secretary Bishwaprakash Sharma and includes Deputy General Secretaries Bhishmaraj Angdembe, Mahendra Yadav, Mahalaxmi Upadhyaya 'Dina', and Jiban Pariyar as members. Additionally, spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat and central committee members Pushpa Bhusal, Mina Bishwokarma, and Madhu Acharya are also part of the committee.

Committee's role: Resolving issues, not interfering in ticket distribution

This committee will address issues and disputes in the areas holding by-elections, and ensure smooth election operations. However, committee member and Deputy General Secretary Jiban Pariyar clarified that the committee will not intervene in ticket distribution, which remains the responsibility of local committees.

“We do not interfere in ticket distribution. As per the constitution, we give full autonomy to lower-level committees to complete their responsibilities,” Pariyar said.

Ticket distribution rights: Local vs Central

As per the revised Nepali Congress constitution, which has undergone 10 amendments, the central leadership will only distribute tickets for positions above the mayor and deputy mayor in metropolitan cities. For all other lower-level positions, ticket distribution authority remains with local committees.

Article 32 of the party constitution outlines the process for recommending, deciding, and approving candidates. According to sub-article 1, the ticket distribution for rural municipality, municipality, and ward-level positions must be handled by the respective local committees. These committees are authorized to recommend up to three names, including one woman, for each position. In cases where agreement cannot be reached, the decision is made by majority vote.

Once recommendations are made, they are forwarded to the regional committees, which provide their feedback before sending them to the district committees. The district committees then forward the names to the national parliamentary committees, which make the final decision.

For positions such as the village chairperson and vice-chairperson, the respective rural municipality committees will send recommendations to the provincial and national parliamentary constituencies. The recommended names will be decided by the province assembly constituency regional committee and federal parliament constituency regional committee which will make the final decision. Similarly, the ticket for positions such as the mayor and deputy mayor in municipalities is handled by local committees and then sent to the provincial committee for approval.