Kathmandu, November 21:

Twenty-three political parties applying for registration at the Election Commission (EC) for the upcoming municipal elections were registered on Monday, the Election Commission said.

Seventy-two parties had applied for registration, the EC said, adding that 16 of them had already been registered at the EC. The Nepal Janabhavana Party, Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Socialist Party Nepal, Jana Congress, Nepal Gorakha Rastriya Mukti Morcha, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Pragatishil Upayog Tatwo Nepal, Dalit Majdur Kisan Party, National People’s Liberation Party, Nepal Socialist Party, Muskan Sena Nepal, Dalit Janajati Party, Rastriya Janarajya Parishad, Samajbadi Garib Party, Nepal Congress (Suvarna), Akhil Nepal Samata Party, National Socialist Party, Nepali People’s Party, Supremacy of Nepalese People, National People’s Unity Party, Rastriya Janashakti Party, Nepal Patriotic People’s Party and National People’s Democratic Party were registered at the EC on Monday.

Elections are scheduled to be held on February 5, 2006 in one metropolis, four sub-metropolitan cities and 53 municipalities across the country.