Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday held discussions with government officials on provisions related to ensuring population-based representation of inclusive groups under the proportional representation electoral system.
Officials of the EC held a discussion with Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Anil Kumar Sinha and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel on population-based representation of inclusive groups.
During the discussion, Law Minister Sinha said the government’s full focus is currently on holding the elections. While acknowledging calls for reform of the electoral system, he made it clear that immediate amendments are not possible. He said representatives, who respect and understand the constitution, should be elected to the House of Representatives, so that debates and discussions on constitutional amendment can take place. Sinha also said some laws need to be revised to ensure population-based representation of inclusive groups.
Similarly, Minister Kharel said all stakeholders must move forward together to ensure elections are held on time. He urged the EC officials to make elections cost-effective.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari informed the two ministers that the EC has requested political parties to spend within the limits. He warned that exceeding the spending limits set by the EC would lead to the cancellation of the nomination of candidates and other punitive actions.
He added that the EC would set spending limits for candidates based on geography and population.
