Kathmandu, March 7 -- As the results for the snap polls for the House of Representatives continue to flood in from across the country, resoundingly in favour of an 'alternative wave' championed by the Rastriya Swantantra Party, the attention of the nation has turned to the difference between securing a majority and a two-thirds 'supermajority' in parliament.

Drawing on constitutional provisions, parliamentary practice and expert legal opinion, here is a look into how these numbers dictate the exercise of power and the governance of the state.

Parliamentary landscape

Nepal's federal parliament is a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives (the lower house) and the National Assembly (the upper house). The House of...