KATHMANDU, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Election for Nepal's National Assembly, also known as the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, was underway in six of seven provinces in Nepal since Wednesday morning.
According to the Election Commission of Nepal, 52 candidates from different political parties are vying for the 32 seats in Province 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The voting which started at 10:00 a.m. local time will continue till 3:00 p.m. local time.
The commission said the voting was not required in Province 2 where all eight candidates were elected unopposed earlier.
Nepal's National Assembly will have 59 members. Of them, 56 will be elected by an electoral college comprising assembly members of the seven provinces and chiefs and deputy chiefs of municipalities and rural municipalities. Similarly, three will be nominated by the president as per the recommendation of the government.
The vote counting is expected to start soon after the voting concludes later in the afternoon, officials said.
The National Assembly election has come after the the country concluded the elections of the House of Representatives, or the lower house, and the Provincial Assembly simultaneously in two phases on Nov. 26 and Dec. 7 last year.
Nepali people have high hopes that their country will usher in political stability with the conclusion of these milestone elections as they are believed as important steps to implement the new constitution adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 2015 for the first time in Nepal's history.
Nepal held local, federal parliament and provincial elections last year after the country became a federal democratic republic in 2008 after overthrowing the 240-year monarchy.
