Caretaker Governments and the Future of Fair Elections

There is no provision for an interim or caretaker government in the Constitution of Nepal. Instead, the Constitution specifies that an outgoing prime minister generally continues in a caretaker capacity until a new government is formed. According to the Constitution, the Council of Ministers remains functional even if the prime minister’s position becomes vacant—for instance, due to resignation—operating in a limited, administrative capacity until a new government takes office. However, Nepal has a practice of forming interim governments, also referred to as caretaker governments, as temporary administrative bodies during political vacuums or significant constitutional transitions.