How long will government formation take after the election?

The House of Representatives election is scheduled for this Thursday. If voting takes place peacefully across the country, the Election Commission Nepal plans to complete the vote counting and prepare final results by March 10.

Vote Counting and Final Results Timeline

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said the Commission is fully prepared to complete the counting process quickly.

First, votes under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system will be counted by the Office of the Returning Officer. After that, votes under the proportional representation (PR) system will be counted and sent to the Election Commission.

Once PR votes are finalised:

• The Commission will allocate proportional seats to political parties.

• Parties will submit their final list of elected lawmakers.

• The Commission will prepare the official election report.

According to Section 62 of the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2017, the Commission must submit a full report to the President of Nepal within seven days of announcing the final results.

Officials have indicated that the report is expected to reach the President by the end of Falgun, or at the latest by the third week of March.

When Does Government Formation Start?

Once the Election Commission publishes the final results and submits the report, the government formation process begins automatically under Article 76 of the Constitution of Nepal.

According to legal experts, including Attorney General Sabita Bhandari Baral:

• The Federal Parliament must be called within one month of result publication.

• The President then begins the process of appointing the Prime Minister.

How Will the Prime Minister Be Appointed?

The process depends on election results:

If One Party Gets a Clear Majority

Under Article 76(1):

• The President appoints the leader of the majority party as Prime Minister.

• The Council of Ministers is formed under their leadership.

• This process is usually quick and straightforward.

If No Party Gets a Majority

Under Article 76(2):

• A Member of Parliament who can secure support from two or more parties can claim leadership.

• Parties must submit their support letters to the President’s Office.

• Coalition discussions may take extra time.

How Long Could Government Formation Take?

If results are finalised by the third week of March:

• Parliament could be convened in the first week of Chaitra.

• Government formation may take about one week to ten days, depending on political negotiations.

If a single party wins a majority, the government could be formed quickly. However, if coalition talks are required, the process may take slightly longer.