National Assembly election underway in Nepal

Kathmandu: The election for Nepal's National Assembly, also known as the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, was underway on Wednesday in six of the Himalayan nation's seven provinces.

According to the Election Commission of Nepal, 52 candidates from different political parties are vying for the 32 seats in Province 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The voting which started at 10 a.m., will conclude at 3 p.m.

The Commission said the voting was not required in Province 2 where all eight candidates have beeb elected unopposed.

The National Assembly will have 59 members. Of them, 56 will be elected by an electoral college comprising assembly members of the seven provinces and chiefs and deputy chiefs of municipalities and rural municipalities.

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Similarly, three will be nominated by the President as per the recommendation of the government.

The vote counting is expected to start soon after polling concludes.

The National Assembly election has come after the the country concluded the elections of the House of Representatives, or the lower house, and the Provincial Assembly simultaneously in two phases on November 26 and December 7, 2017.

Nepal held local, federal parliament and provincial elections last year after the country became a federal democratic republic in 2008 after overthrowing the 240-year monarchy.

--IANS