Kathmandu, December 17 The Election Commission today completed counting of proportional representation votes, with the CPN-UML set to win the largest number of PR seats in the House of Representatives. The UML has won 80 parliamentary first-past-the-post seats, the largest number so far. Out of 49 parties that contested the parliamentary PR elections, only five -- the UML, the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal — were able to secure three per cent votes, the required threshold to be recognised as national parties.

Tally in Parliament

Party Parliamentary PR seats CPN-UML 41 NC 40 CPN-MC 17 RJP-N 6 FSF-N 6 Among the five parties, the UML got 3,173,494 votes, followed by NC’s 3,128,389, CPN-MC’s 1,303,721, RJP-N’s 472,254 and FSF-N’s 270,201 votes. UML secured only 45,105 more votes than NC. The RJP-N, which won only one parliamentary FPTP seat more than the FSF-N, is ahead of the FSF-N in PR vote tally only by a margin of 2,053 votes. The EC, however, said it was still verifying some data and final number of votes could slightly be modified.

Province-wise tally under proportional representation system

Province 1

Total provincial PR seats: 37

UML 16 NC 13 CPN-MC 5 RJP-N 1 FSF-N 2

Province 2

Total provincial PR seats: 43

NC 11 RJP-N 10 FSF-N 9 UML 8 CPN-MC 5

Province 3

Total provincial PR seats: 44

UML 17 NC 14 CPN-MC 8 Bibeksheel Sajha Party 3 RPP 2

Province 4

Total provincial PR seats: 24

UML 10 NC 9 CPN-MC 3 NSP-N 1 RJM 1

Province 5

Total provincial PR seats: 35

UML 13 NC 13 CPN-MC 6 FSF-N 2 RJP-N 1

Province 6

Total provincial PR seats: 16

UML 6 NC 5 CPN-MC 4 RPP 1

Province 7

Total provincial PR seats: 21

NC 8 UML 8 CPN-MC 4 RJP-N 1 The Naya Shakti Party-Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which won one parliamentary FPTP seat each, failed to secure three per cent of the total valid PR votes. This means that the status of these parties’ lawmakers in the House will be that of independent lawmakers. The EC will allocate the PR seats on the basis of Sainte-Lague formula . As per this formula, the UML is likely to get 41 PR seats in the Parliament, the NC 40, the CPN-MC 17 and the FSF-N and RJP-N six seats each. Out of seven provinces, UML got the highest votes in five -- provinces 1,3,4,5 and 6 -- while the NC was able to secure the highest PR votes in provinces 2 and 7. EC Commissioner Narendra Dahal said counting of the PR votes in all the 77 districts had been completed technically but the poll panel was yet to receive written letters from chief returning officers of some districts.