The Supreme Court has issued an interim order directing the Election Commission to ensure the representation of persons with disabilities in the closed lists submitted by political parties.
The deadline for submitting proportional representation (PR) closed lists for the election scheduled to take place on March 5 has ended, and the Election Commission is currently verifying whether the lists comply with cluster-based requirements.
The interim order was issued by a joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Tek Prasad Dhungana in response to a writ petition filed by Madhav Prasad Chamlagain.
The court order states that if representation of persons with disabilities is not ensured in the closed lists submitted by various political parties, the petitioners would suffer irreparable damage.
“In view of the situation where the petitioners would suffer irreparable damage if persons with disabilities are not represented, the Election Commission shall conduct an inquiry,” the order reads. “If it is found that the closed list submitted by any party lacks the representation of persons with disabilities as required by the Constitution and law, the commission shall notify the party concerned to correct the closed list and include the names of persons with disabilities, thereby ensuring compliance with the Constitution, the law, and this court’s order in the election.”
