Politics in Nepal

Nepal's political system combines constitutional government, elected institutions and public administration. The Constitution of Nepal 2015, as amended, provides the framework for a federal democratic republic and describes Nepal as sovereign, secular, inclusive and socialism-oriented. Authority is distributed among the federal government, seven provincial governments and 753 local levels rather than being concentrated in one national administration. State institutions give public decisions their legal and administrative framework. Courts handle judicial functions, public bodies manage services and public funds, oversight institutions examine the exercise of authority, and security organisations carry out their assigned responsibilities. Elections provide the democratic process through which political representation is organized at federal, provincial and local levels. The Election Commission Nepal, commonly called the ECN, manages voter registration, candidate and party registration, polling, counting and publication of results. Voters generally need Nepali citizenship, must be at least 18 years old and must appear on the voter roll. The state dimension therefore concerns how authority and institutions are organized, while the election dimension concerns participation, candidates, voting and the establishment of results.