KATHMANDU: The Election Commission of Nepal has submitted a sweeping draft of the Integrated Election Management Bill to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

A major provision bars candidates defeated in federal, provincial, or local elections from running for any other public office until that original term ends.

Additionally, the bill seeks the authority to set fixed election dates, scheduling general and local polls for the first Sunday of the month exactly four years and eleven months after the previous results.

The draft introduces a landmark 33% mandatory quota for female candidates in first-past-the-post and caps proportional representation (PR) limits at two terms per person.

It also features major voter updates, including advanced PR voting for overseas citizens and on-duty workers.

Additionally, the bill proposes a shortened 24-hour pre-election silent period and a “None of the above” (NOTA) option on the ballot that will cancel the election and force a rerun if chosen by more than 50% of voters.