The Election Commission on Friday met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to discuss upcoming elections, including by-elections for the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly.

The talks also covered the National Assembly polls for 18 seats falling vacant on March 2 next year and elections to fill vacant positions in local governments, the prime minister’s secretariat said.

One-third of the 59-member upper house fall vacant every two years.

A delegation led by Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari met Prime Minister Oli at his office in Singha Durbar to propose holding by-elections for the House of Representatives seat in Rupandehi-3 and the Gandaki Provincial Assembly seat in Manang-1(2) in the last week of October.

The federal parliament seat in Rapandehi-3 went vacant after the death of lawmaker Deepak Bohara in April while the Rajiv Gurung alias Deepak Manange’s position as lawmaker has been annulled after the Supreme Court convicted him on criminal charges on June 18. He was elected from Manang-1(2).

The commission is preparing to finalise the election date in consultation with the government by June last.

It also informed the prime minister that 13 ward chair positions across various local units are currently vacant and require elections.

Prime Minister Oli assured the commission that the government would facilitate the electoral process as required. He also urged the commission to begin preparations for the upcoming elections for the vacant seats.

The headline of the story has been changed for clarity.