The Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal () is the head of Election Commission, a constitutional body responsible for conducting and monitoring elections, as well as registering parties and candidates and reporting election outcomes, in Nepal. The president of Nepal appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners on the recommendation of Constitutional Council.
The term of Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners can be a maximum of six years from the date of appointment. The qualifications and eligibility of a person to serve as Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners are clearly mentioned in Section 24, article 245 of Constitution of Nepal.
Roles and powers The Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal is the head and Chairperson of the Election Commission, as provided under Article 245 of the Constitution of Nepal. Appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, the Chief Election Commissioner presides over Commission meetings, provides overall leadership, coordinates and supervises the commission's activities, and ensures the independent and impartial conduct of elections. The Chief Election Commissioner leads the Commission in conducting elections for the President, Vice-president, Federal Parliament, Provincial Assemblies and Local Governments, preparing and maintaining electoral rolls, conducting referendums where provided by law, and deciding disputes relating to candidates' qualifications before the declaration of election results. Article 246 also permits the Election Commission to delegate its constitutional functions, duties and powers to the Chief Election Commissioner under prescribed conditions. The Chief Election Commissioner chairs Commission meetings, determines meeting agendas, supervises the implementation of Commission decisions, oversees the Election Commission Secretariat, coordinates election administration and logistics, and represents the Commission in the discharge of its constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
Appointment and term of Office
The Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal is appointed by the President of Nepal on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, as provided under Article 245(2) of the Constitution of Nepal. The Election Commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and four other Election Commissioners, with the Chief Election Commissioner serving as the Chairperson of the commission. A person is eligible for appointment as Chief Election Commissioner if they possess the qualifications specified in Article 245(6), namely:
holding a bachelor's degree from a recognized university, not being a member of any political party immediately before appointment, having attained the age of forty-five years, and possessing high moral character.
The term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner is six years from the date of appointment. The office becomes vacant before completion of the term if
the Chief Election Commissioner submits a written resignation to the president, reaches the age of sixty-five, is removed through an impeachment motion in parliament, is removed by the president on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council due to physical or mental incapacity, or dies.
The Chief Election Commissioner is not eligible for reappointment after completing the term, although an Election Commissioner may be appointed as Chief Election Commissioner, with the previous period of service counted as part of the term.
List of Chief Election Commissioners The following have held the post of the chief election commissioner of Nepal. +No.NamePortraitTerm of office1Subarna Shamsher Rana12 November 19511959 years2Surendra Bahadur Basnet26 September 196629 May 19673Purna Prasad Brahman23 June 196710 August 19714Bishnumani Aacharya6 September 197114 March 19735Sundar Prasad Shah30 April 19732 May 19796Sher Bahadur Shahi13 January 198020 January 19857Surya Prasad Shrestha 28 March 198523 October 19928Bishnu Pratap Shah26 April 19933 August 20019Achyut Narayan Rajbhandari7 January 200223 August 200310Keshav Raj Rajbhandari3 December 20039 July 200611Bhojraj Pokharel30 October 20063 June 200912Nilkantha Upreti24 March 201315 May 201513Ayodhi Prasad Yadav12 July 201524 February 201914 Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya19 April 201918 April 202515Man Bahadur Karki31 July 2026Incumbent
References