Article 84: Composition of House of Representatives

1) The House of Representatives shall consist of a total of two hundred and seventy-five members, as follows:

(a) One hundred and sixty-five members to be elected through the first past the post electoral system, with one being elected from each election constituency of the one hundred and sixty-five election constituencies delimited in the country on the basis of population, geographical convenience, and specificity

(b) One hundred and ten members to be elected through the proportional electoral system, where voters vote for political parties, with the whole country being considered as a single election constituency.

2) The Federal law shall provide that, in fielding candidacy by political parties for the election to the House of Representatives under the proportional electoral system, representation shall be ensured on the basis of a closed list also from women, Dalit, indigenous peoples, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, Muslims, and backward regions, on the basis of population. In so fielding a candidacy, regard shall also be had to geography and territorial balance.

Explanation: For the purposes of this clause, “Khas Arya” means Kshetri, Brahmin, Thakuri, and Sanyasi (Dashnami) communities.

3) In fielding a candidacy under clause (2), political parties shall provide for the representation of persons with disabilities as well.

4) Election to the House of Representatives under clause (1) shall be held through secret ballots in accordance with law.

5) Each citizen of Nepal who has completed the age of eighteen years shall have the right to vote in any one election constituency as provided for in the Federal law.

6) A person who is qualified under Article 87 and entitled to vote in an election to the members of the House of Representatives may, subject to the Federal law, be a candidate in any election constituency.

Provided that a person shall not be a candidate in more than one election constituency at the same time.

7) If the seat of any member of the House of Representatives falls vacant while its term still remains for more than six months, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the electoral system by which such seat was filled.

8) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in this Part, at least one third of the total number of members elected from each political party represented in the Federal Parliament must be women. If women are not so elected as to constitute one-third of the elected members of any political party under sub clause (a) of clause (1) and sub-clause (a) of clause (2) of Article 86, such political party must, in electing members under sub-clause (b) of clause (1), so elect that women members constitute at least one third of the total number of members elected to the Federal Parliament from that party.

9) Election to the House of Representatives and other matters pertaining thereto shall be as provided for in the Federal law.