Thousands of candidates who contested the House of Representatives (HoR) elections held on March 5 under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system have lost their security deposits. According to the Election Commission, 2,890 candidates failed to save their deposits in this election.
Information Officer at the Election Commission Suman Ghimire explained that candidates wishing to participate in the election are legally required to deposit a specific security amount. He stated that candidates who secure more than 10 percent of the total valid votes cast in their constituency are eligible for a refund. However, those who receive less than 10 percent of the valid votes have their deposits forfeited to the state. Under these legal provisions, 2,890 candidates lost their deposits in the recent HoR election, and notably, 350 of those candidates did not receive a single vote.
The legal criteria for forfeiting a deposit are strictly based on the performance of the candidate. A candidate’s security deposit is only returned if they cross the threshold of 10 percent of the total valid votes in their respective constituency. If they fall below this mark, the law mandates that the deposit be transferred to the state treasury.
Regarding the 350 candidates who recorded zero votes, Ghimire noted that this result suggests these individuals did not even cast a vote for themselves, nor did they receive support from their own families. Out of all the candidates who competed in the direct election system, only 516 managed to cross the 10 percent threshold and successfully save their security deposits.
To reclaim their funds, the 516 successful candidates must submit an application to the Election Commission within 90 days of the announcement of the final election results. The Commission has stated that the money will be refunded according to the law once a formal and valid application is received.
