Nepal Government

Who is the president of Nepal?

Executive Branch:

chief of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since October 2015)

head of government: Prime Minister Khadga Prasad (KP) Sharma OLI (since 15 February 2018); deputy prime ministers Ishwar POKHREL, Upendra YADAV (since 1 June 2018) (an)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; cabinet dominated by the Nepal Communist Party

elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023); prime minister indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament

election results: Bidhya Devi BHANDARI reelected president; electoral vote - Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (CPN-UML) 39,275, Kumari Laxmi RAI (NC) 11,730

head of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since 29 October 2015); Vice President Nanda Bahadar PUN (since 31 October 2015)

Citizenship Criteria:

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Legal System:

English common law and Hindu legal concepts

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Legislative Branch:

description: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of:

National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years)

House of Representatives (275 seats; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections:

first election for the National Assembly held on 7 February 2018 (next to be held in 2024)

first election for House of Representatives held on 26 November and 7 December 2017 (next to be held in 2022)

election results:

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 42, NC 13, FSFN 2, RJPN 2; composition - men 37, women 22, percent of women 37.3%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NCP 174, NC 63, RJPN 17, FSFN 16, other 4, independent 1; composition - men 185, women 90, percent of women 32.7%; note - total Federal Parliament percent of women 33.5%

Judicial Branch:

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and up to 14 judges)

judge selection and term of office: the Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council; other judges appointed by the prime minister on the recommendation of the Judicial Council; judges serve until age 65

subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; district courts

note: Nepal's judiciary was restructured under its 2007 Interim Constitution

Regions or States:

14 zones (anchal, singular and plural); Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali, Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani, Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti

Political Parties and Leaders:

note: 122 political parties participated in the 19 November 2013 election and the 30 parties listed below were elected to serve in the Constituent Assembly

Akhanda Nepal Party [Kumar KHADKA]

Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist Leninist or CPN-ML [C.P. MAINALI]

Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist or CPN-UML [Jhala Nath KHANAL]

Communist Party of Nepal (United) or CPN (United) [Jaydev JOSHI]

Dalit Janajati Party [Bishwendra PASHWAN]

Federal Socialist Party [Ashok RAI]

Jana Jagaran Party Nepal (Awareness Party Nepal) [Lok Mani DHAKAL]

Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha-Nepal [Ram Kumar RAI]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic [Bijay Kumar GACHCHADAR]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal [Upendra YADAV]

Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Republican

Madhesh Samata Party Nepal [Meghraj SAHANI]

National Madhes Socialist Party [Sharat Singh BHANDARI]

Nepal Rastriya Party [Keshav Man SHAKYA]

Nepal Pariwar Dal [Ek Nath DHAKAL]

Nepal Workers and Peasants Party [Narayan Man BIJUKCHHE]

Nepali Congress or NC [Sushil KOIRALA]

Nepali Janata Dal [Hari Charan SHAH]

Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal [Chitra Bahadur K.C.]

Rastriya Janamukti Party [Malwar Singh THAPA]

Rastriya Prajatantra Party

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal [Kamal THAPA]

Sadbhavana Party [Rajendra MAHATO]

Samajbadi Prajatanytrik Janata Party Nepal [Prem Bahadur SINGH]

Sanghiya Sadbhavana Party [Anil Kumar JHA]

Sanghiye Loktantrik Rastriya Manch [Rukmini CHAUDHARY]

Terai Madhesh Democratic Party [Mahantha THAKUR]

Terai-Madhesh Sadbhavana Party-Nepal [Mahendra YADAV]

Tharuhat Terai Party Nepal [Bhanuram CHAUDARY]

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) or UCPN(M) [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known as Comrade PRACHANDA]

International Law Organization Participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International Organization Participation:

ADB, BIMSTEC, CD, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Arjun Kumar KARKI (since 18 May 2015)

chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550

FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534

consulate(s) general: Cleveland (OH), New York

Diplomatic Representation from US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Alaina B. TEPLITZ (since 7 October 2015)

embassy: Maharajgunj, Kathmandu

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: [977] (1) 423-4000

FAX: [977] (1) 400-7272