Parties told to register with poll panel

Kathmandu, December 28

The Election Commission today asked parties to register with the poll panel for the National Assembly election.

The poll panel’s decision comes in the backdrop of differences between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML over the electoral system to be adopted for the National Assembly election, and the president’s continued consultation on the National Assembly Elections Ordinance, which the government had sent to the Head of State for approval two months ago.

A meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav urged parties to register with the EC within 15 days.

The Nepali Congress, the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal want the NA election to be held on the basis of single transferable voting system while the UML is in favour of holding the election on the basis of first-past-the-post system.

Issuing a press statement today, EC Spokesperson Dinesh Kumar Ghimire said parties should register with the EC as per Article 271 of the constitution and Section 48 or 49 of Act related to political parties-2017 to contest the National Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, the EC said only three parties had submitted the list of winning candidates of provincial proportional representation election.

Out of 13 parties that won the provincial PR election only Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Bibeksheel Sajha Party and Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party have submitted their list of winning  candidates. Bibeksheel Sajha Party won three provincial PR seats, while MWPP and Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party won one provincial PR seat each.

As per the deadline given by the election body, parties have to submit the list of winning  provincial candidates by 3:00pm tomorrow.

Major political parties — UML, CPN-MC and NC— said they would submit the list of their winning candidates before deadline.

Of the 53 parties that contested the provincial PR election, only 13 parties won seats, according to the EC.