Himal Press 
Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya
KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has proposed stricter conditions for political parties to secure national party status.
According to Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya, the EC is proposing tougher provisions through an amendment to the Political Parties Act 2016.
Section 52 of the existing Political Parties Act requires parties to secure at least 3% of proportional representation votes and win one seat in the first-past-the-post system in parliamentary elections to qualify as a national party. “Only a party obtaining at least 3% of votes in the proportional representation system and winning one seat in the first-past-the-post system in the House of Representatives election shall receive recognition as a national party,” Section 52 states.
The EC has now proposed a new five-point criteria to get national party status. According to the EC, parties must obtain a specified percentage of votes in proportional representation, must have a nationwide organizational structure or presence, must have representation from at least three provinces in the federal parliament, must maintain an inclusive character, and must have participated in elections in at least 80% of constituencies.
