Nepalese Political Parties Submit Proportional Representation Lists Amid Nepotism Allegations

Kathmandu. Political parties have submitted lists to the Election Commission, arranging candidates for the proportional representation (PR) system of the House of Representatives elections based on the votes received. The Commission had previously corresponded with the parties, asking them to submit the finalized lists according to clusters by Sunday, specifying the seats allocated to each party under the PR system.

Following the Commission's correspondence, six parties that met the stipulated criteria for PR seats submitted their lists on Sunday. In the past, the PR system has often faced criticism for being dominated by nepotism centered around influential party leaders. This time too, some instances of 'nepotism' have surfaced.

In the PR category, the Rastriya Swatantra Party secured 57 seats, Nepali Congress 20, CPN-UML 16, CPN (Maoist Centre) 9, while the Shram Sanskriti Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party secured 4 seats each.

Criticism is mounting against four parties for recommending family members and relatives for these seats while finalizing the lists according to clusters. Congress, UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have recommended family members and relatives on their proportional representation lists.

There are four relatives of leaders recommended for seats from Congress, and one relative each from CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

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From Proportional Representation to Father-in-law, Wife to Niece in Congress

Arjun Narsingh KC, recommended from the Khas-Arya cluster male category for Congress, is the father-in-law of party President Gagan Thapa. KC has previously served multiple times as a Member of Parliament and a Minister. KC is also one of the leaders who has contested the most elections in contemporary politics.

The 78-year-old KC used to sharply criticize the then-President Deuba over the issue of generational transition. Deuba was the party president when the party nominated him as a candidate for the proportional representation. The Nepali Congress submitted the closed list of proportional representation candidates to the Election Commission with Deuba's signature.

KC was elected to the National Panchayat in the 1981 election and became a State Minister. After losing the second National Panchayat election in 1986, KC became the District Panchayat Chairman in 1988. Returning to Congress after 1990, KC was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Nuwakot in 1991, 1994, 2013, and 2022. He is now facing criticism after being recommended for MP through the proportional representation system while his son-in-law is the party president.

Similarly, Dr. Chandramohan Yadav, recommended as an MP from the Madhesi cluster of Congress, is the son of Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, the first President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. He has previously served as a member of the House of Representatives after winning a direct election.

Reena Uprety, recommended as an MP from the Khas-Arya female category for Congress, is the wife of Congress leader Balaram KC. She was the president of the Free Students Union at Padma Kanya Campus.

Ninukumari Karna, recommended as an MP under the Madhesi quota for Congress, is the niece of former Deputy Chairman of Congress, Bimalendra Nidhi. Karna, who entered politics through the women's wing of the Congress sister organization, had not been an MP before.

Likewise, Bhumika Subba, whom CPN-UML nominated as an MP from the Janajati cluster, is the wife of UML leader Basanta Nemwang. Subba has been active in the politics of the UML sister organization, the National Cultural Federation, and is currently its chairperson.

Similarly, Balawati Sharma, recommended as an MP from the Khas-Arya cluster for the CPN (Maoist Centre), is the wife of leader Devendra Poudel. Sharma is a former provincial assembly member. She served as a member of the Interim Legislature in 2006.

Sharma's husband, Devendra Poudel, is also a former Minister of Education. Active in the party since the People's War led by the then-Maoists, they are active in CPN politics after being in the Maoist party. Poudel, who used to contest elections from Baglung, contested directly from Nawalparasi-2 this time after changing his constituency and was defeated.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has also recommended Saraswati Lama, the wife of Senior Vice Chairman Buddhiman Tamang, from the Indigenous National Women's cluster for MP. Tamang, who served as Home Minister during the reign of the late King Gyanendra Shah and as a minister and MP multiple times during the democratic era, has now secured a parliamentary seat for his wife.

The Election Commission will issue certificates only after determining whether the lists recommended by the parties comply with the number of clusters determined by the Commission. If any party submits a list that does not adhere to the cluster requirements, the Commission may direct them to revise and resubmit it.