Kathmandu, March 2:

State Minister for Labour and Transport Management, Ramesh Lekhak, today tabled the Political Party Related Bill, 2007 on behalf of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

The bill stipulates that any political party seeking the Election Commission’s (EC) recognition for contesting elections will now have to produce 10,000 signatures of its voters along with an application, while registering the party at the EC. The new provision of signatures will, however, be applicable only to those parties outside the legislature-parliament.

No party in the past had to produce signatures of its voters while launching the party.

The bill prepared for amending and integrating laws related to political parties has a provision that proscribes political parties to take donations from “individual, organisation, international agencies and governments.” The bill also prohibits the parties to extort any of the mentioned entities.

Similarly, the bill has banned the political parties from calling bandhs. It has also banned the parties from organising protest programmes and rallies in prohibited places. The local government officer would decide on the places where parties can organise such programmes.

The bill also prohibits obstructing means of transport and vandalising public and people’s properties while launching any protest. Use of minors by any political party for any political activity including rallies, protest programmes and assemblies is forbidden.

“Parties found involved in activities against law may even be punished as per the existing law,” the bill states.

The bill has stipulated a provision that the government would provide a certain amount of money as aid to political parties, who get at least one per cent of the total votes in national elections. The bill has also stipulated mandatory rules for the parties to keep records and make public the properties of their office bearers.

At least 11 office bearers are needed for a party to be registered in the Election Commission. The bill has granted authority to the EC to refuse to register any political party if found possessing intentions against the spirit of the preamble of the constitution.

Also today, the parliament ratified the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre’s

Charter, 2005.