Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) observed the House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly Member Elections 2022. Based on the observation of 118 observers at 83 local levels in all seven provinces, this preliminary report has been prepared covering pre-election activities, the voting process, and post-voting activities.

There were 32 political incidents recorded between January 8 and February 7, 2018. 29 incidents were related to protests over the location of provincial capitals, in at least four of those incidents the protesters clashed with police resulting into multiple injuries. Two incidents involved demonstrations against moving local level centers and one incident entailed a protest against the language used by provincial assembly members during the first province assembly meeting in Province 2.

One major feature of the new constitution promulgated in September 2015 was the restructuring of Nepal’s local government, including the devolution of power to newly created provinces and local units. After much deliberations and contestations, the constitutionally mandated Local Level Restructuring Commission finalized 743 local units. On February 20, 2017, the Government of Nepal announced the local elections for May 14, 2017, which were later broken into three phases due to political reasons. The first phase elections in provinces without Tarai districts (Provinces 3, 4, and 6) were held on May 14, and the second phase elections in the rest of the provinces except province 2 were held on June 28. The province 2 elections across eight Tarai districts were held on September 18. Democracy Resource Center Nepal (DRCN) observed all three phases of the local elections conducted for the first time in nearly twenty years, and the first one under the new constitution and new local structures.

On September 18, 2017, Nepal held its third and final phase of local elections. Citizens enthusiastically voted to elect representatives to the 136 local units of Bara, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Parsa, Rautahat, Saptari, Sarlahi and Siraha districts of Province 2. Voter turnout was 77 percent. Polls happened after a number of districts in Province 2 had witnessed significant flooding in the month of August.

As preparations resumed and campaigning intensified ahead of the second phase of local elections scheduled for June 28, provinces 1, 2, 5 and 7 saw a spike in election – related incidents. Nepal Monitor recorded 46 incidents in these provinces between May 22 and June 11, up from 19 during the period of May 12 to May 21.