Nominations will be filed on Wednesday for the last phase of local elections that are scheduled for September 18 in eight districts of Province 2.

The Election Commission (EC) said on Tuesday that nominations can be filed between 10 and 5pm. Complaints against the candidates can be filed on Thursday and the same day the EC will verify the list. The EC will publish the final list of candidates and distribute electoral symbols on Saturday.

With the completion of the last leg of local elections in Province 2, local governments will finally be installed in the country after a gap of a decade and a half.

Local elections in Provinces 3, 4 and 6 were held on May 14 and Provinces 1, 5 and 7 on June 28.

Though the government had earlier planned to hold local elections, first in 20 years, at one go across the country on May 14, they had to be staggered over three phases, particularly in view of the agitating Madhes-based parties’ concerns.

The Local Level Restructuring Commission had initially carved out 719 local units across the country, but 25 units were added later, taking the number to 744.

The Madhes-based parties, six of which in April merged to become the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), did not participate in May14 polls and boycotted the June 28 elections, saying that their demands of constitution amendment and more

local units in Tarai districts among others had not been addressed.

To address the RJP-N’s demand of more local units, the government on August 11 had added nine more units in Province 2.

The total number of local units now stands at 753.

Though the RJP-N’s demand of constitution amendment was not addressed, as a constitution amendment bill failed in Parliament on August 21, the RJP-N agreed to participate in the local polls in Province 2, where the party considers it holds sway.

“All the parties have committed to participating in the elections. It indeed is a matter of joy for the EC,” said Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav at a press meet on Tuesday.

The number of eligible voters in Province 2 is 2,664,950.

Province 2 districts were hugely affected by floods and inundation in the second week of August.

Damaged roads had become a major cause for concern, hence the poll body had called on the government to repair the infrastructure at the earliest in view of the difficulties it could face while transporting election materials.