KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has determined the percentages for inclusive groups under the proportional representation system for the upcoming House of Representatives election, in line with the House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.

President Ram Chandra Paudel issued the ordinance on Friday on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, as per Article 114(1) of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.

The government had recommended issuing an ordinance to amend Schedule 1 of the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2017, to reflect the population shares of Dalits, Indigenous Nationalities, Khas Arya, Madheshi, Tharu, and Muslim communities as per the 2021 National Census.

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said political parties must now recommend candidates for the proportional representation system by aligning with the inclusive group percentages as per the latest census.

The Dalit population, which stood at 13.8 percent in the 2011 census, has declined to 13.4%. Similarly, the population of indigenous nationalities declined from 28.7% from 2011 to 28.2% in 2021, while the population of Khas Arya group decreased slightly from 31.2% to 30.3%.

Likewise, the Tharu community’s share in the population fell marginally from 6.6% to 6.5%. percent. In contrast, the populations of Muslim and Madheshi communities have increased from 4.4% to 4.9% and 15.3% to 16.3%, respectively.

Schedule 1 of the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2017, currently lists inclusive group percentages based on the 2011 census. The ordinance updates the inclusive group percentages based on the 2021 census.

Political parties will now have to submit their closed lists of candidates based on the new inclusive group percentages derived from the 2021 national census.

JANAKPUR: Ram Ashish Yadav of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal has been elected as the Speaker of the Madhes Province Assembly.

In the election held on Sunday, Yadav got 72 votes from the seven-party alliance.

Deputy Speaker of Madhesh Province Assembly Babita Raut Ishar announced the election of Yadav as the Speaker with 72 votes out of 96 province assembly members present at the meeting today.

Elected from Dhanusha Constituency no. 2 (B) from the JSP Nepal, Yadav was the Chief Whip of JSP’s parliamentary party in the Madhesh Province Assembly.

KATHMANDU: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song paid a farewell call on Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire at his office in Singha Durbar today.

In the meeting, discussions were held on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding economic and development cooperation, among other issues.

Speaker Ghimire thanked Ambassador Song, who is returning to his country after successfully completing his term, and highly praised his contribution to strengthening Nepal-China bilateral relations, expanding cooperation in economic development, and reinforcing relations between the parliaments of both countries.

Referring to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Nepal-China diplomatic relations throughout the year, Speaker Ghimire said that the various programs organized by both sides in 2025 have lifted the bilateral ties to a new height.

He stated that Nepal and China have remained good neighbours, close friends, and reliable partners, clarifying that the bilateral relationship is progressing on the basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding.

Speaker Ghimire reiterated that Nepal is fully committed to the One-China principle and expressed commitment not to allow any activity against China’s interests on Nepali soil.

The Speaker appreciated the support provided by the Chinese leadership to transform Nepal from a landlocked country to a land-linked one. He also noted that regular visits and dialogues between Nepal-China parliamentary delegations have further broadened and strengthened bilateral relations.

Speaker Ghimire expressed Nepal’s gratitude for the development assistance received from the Chinese government and emphasised that projects under the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) agreement and other development assistance projects should be implemented promptly.

Ambassador Song during the meeting expressed that China has given high priority to diplomatic relations with Nepal. He mentioned that during his tenure, significant progress was made in implementing the agreements reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit in 2020.

Ambassador Song stated that although people-to-people relations between Nepal and China are strong, economic relations have not developed to that level.

He recalled that a Nepal–China economic cooperation and investment workshop was held a few days ago and many Chinese entrepreneurs have shown keen interest to invest in Nepal.

Janakpurdham, December 21

Ram Ashish Yadav of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal has been elected as the Speaker of the Madhesh Province Assembly. In today’s assembly session, Yadav, the candidate of the seven-party alliance, won the election with 72 votes, while the opposition secured 24 votes. A total of 96 members of the assembly were present.

Deputy Speaker Babita Raut Ishwar, who was presiding over the assembly, announced Yadav’s election. The proposal to elect Ram Ashish Yadav as Speaker was submitted by Nepali Congress lawmaker Birendra Prasad Singh.

The motion to elect Yadav as Speaker was passed by a majority, and the rival candidate Triloki Prasad Yadav of the CPN-UML did not receive sufficient support.

Ram Ashish Yadav, representing Dhanusha Constituency No. 2 (Kha), is a second-term directly elected assembly member and also serves as the Chief Spokesperson of JSP Nepal.

Earlier, Ramchandra Mandal of CPN-UML, who had been the Speaker, was removed from the post on Mangsir 3 by a two-thirds majority of the seven-party alliance, citing misconduct. The position had remained vacant since then.

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KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has emphasized the significance of remembering one’s traditions and culture.

While she acknowledged the need to gradually eliminate certain detrimental practices from cultural norms, she stressed that indigenous traditions and traditional costumes should not be forsaken.

PM Karki expressed this during a meeting today with a delegation from the Tamu Hyul Chonji Gurung National Council.

The council members attended the program in traditional attire.

The Prime Minister commended their clothing and suggested that it would be fitting for the government employees to don their traditional dress at least once a week.

“Some communities are currently seeking their identity. In the pursuit of modernity, their originality appears to be diminishing. They are often unaware of their true identity. However, we Nepalis possess a wealth of uniqueness. Our diverse original cultures and traditions must be preserved. Perhaps we should also think about implementing a policy for such attire to be worn in government offices once or twice a week,” stated Prime Minister Karki on the occasion.

During the meeting, Council General Secretary Raju Gurung extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the special event on Tamu Lhosar festival, scheduled for December 30.