EC calls for registration of political parties

KATHMANDU, Feb 17: The Election Commission (EC) has called for the registration of political parties giving 11-day time so that they could take part in the coming May 13 local level election. 

The EC slated the party registration time for two week from today. A notice has been issued in this regard. The political parties are asked to submit the formal applications along with the sample of signatures of the office bearers. The political management section at EC is looking after the registration process. 

As per the Constitution of Nepal and Act on Political Parties, any political party willing to take part in the election must be registered at the EC

Along with the formal application, the parties should present party statute, manifesto, regulation, flag, sample of election symbol, arrangement of at least 21 central members in the central committee, and auditing reports of the previous fiscal year. 

Similarly, the political parties must have reflected the country's diversity in their executive committee. The statute and regulation must be democratic and each office bearer of the party at federal and provincial levels elected once every five year.

Currently, there are 119 political parties registered at EC. Among the political parties which took part in the 2074 BS election, 18 parties had representation at the local level.

Although formation of the party was initiated before 2007BS, the Interim Statute formulated after the 2007BS democratic movement provided legitimacy to the party registration in Nepal.

Praja Parishad was formed as the first political party in Nepal on Jestha 20, 1993BS. The EC chronicles the Nepali Rastriya Congress formed in 2003BS, Nepali Congress in 2005BS, Nepal Communist Party in 2006BS and Gorkha Parishad in 2007BS.

Political parties have been registered at the EC since the first general election in the country in 2015BS. Currently, 119 political parties are registered and in existence. 

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 2015 had provided for the fundamental rights that Nepali citizens could register political parties. Although the royal coup in 2017BS banned the political parties, the restoration of democracy in 2047 BS revived this right.