Nepal to hold polls on November 20

Nepal's government yesterday said it will hold a parliamentary election on November 20 amid concerns over high inflation and depleted foreign exchange reserves that have led to rising food and energy prices. Education Minister Debendra Paudel confirmed that a cabinet meeting had approved the date for the election to the 275-member House of Representatives – 165 seats on first-past-the-post basis and the rest through proportional representation. Nepal has seen 10 governments change since 239-year-old monarchy was abolished in 2008.