A Member of Parliament in Nepal is a member of the Pratinidhi Sabha, the lower house of the Federal Parliament of Nepal. Members of Parliament are elected through single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting and proportional electoral system.The Constitution specifies that Parliament consists of 275 members. The leader of the largest party or alliance in Parliament usually becomes Prime Minister of Nepal.
All Members of Pratinidhi Sabha rank 10th in the Order of precedence in Nepal.
Eligibility criteria According to Article 87 of the Constitution of Nepal and the House of Representatives Election Act, 2017, for becoming a member of the Pratinidhi Sabha, the members must be: (a) A citizen of Nepal (b) A minimum of 25 years or older on the date of nomination (c) Without a criminal offense conviction involving moral turpitude (d) Not disqualified by any federal law (e) Not hold any office of profit (paid by the government) In addition to the above, no member can be a member of both the Pratinidhi Sabha and the Rastriya Sabha.
Disqualification grounds According to Article 89 of the Constitution of Nepal, a person would be ineligible to be a Member of the Pratinidhi Sabha if the person: (a) Written resignation to the Speaker (b) Does not comply with Article 87 of the Constitution of Nepal (c) Expired term of office/house (d) Unclarified/uninformed absence for ten consecutive house sessions (e) Resignation/removal from the party to which the candidate was associated during the election (f) Death
Term The term of a member of the Pratinidhi Sabha is five years from the date of appointment for its first meeting. During a state of emergency, the term can be extended by the Parliament of Nepal by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time.
Responsibilities The broad responsibilities of the Pratinidhi Sabha members include: (a) Legislative responsibility: To pass Law of Nepal in the Pratinidhi Sabha. (b) Parliamentary Oversight responsibility: To hold the executive government to account and ensure they discharge their duties satisfactorily. (d) Power of the purse responsibility: To approve and oversee the revenues and expenditures proposed by the government.
Salary, privileges, and allowances Members of the Pratinidhi Sabha are entitled to an monthly salary of and other allowances. This is in accordance with the Act relating to remuneration and facilities of officers and members of the Federal Parliament, 2016, which makes provision for remuneration, allowances, and privileges for members.
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