New Political Parties Unveil Agendas Ahead of House of Representatives Election

Kathmandu. Political parties, which were not decisive based on seat numbers in previous parliamentary elections and are entering the electoral arena this time, have put forward their respective 'agendas' to attract voters. Political parties that have registered candidates for both the first-past-the-post and proportional representation systems in the House of Representatives election scheduled for this coming Falgun 21 have issued election manifestos and begun campaigning.

Out of a total of 120 political parties that applied to participate in the election, 65 political parties are competing with 61 election symbols under the first-past-the-post system, and 63 political parties are competing with 57 election symbols under the proportional representation system.
Following the election announcement, some political parties have split, while some have merged and appeared in the field. Some parties have formed electoral alliances and are campaigning with a joint election symbol.

The Nagarik Unmukti Party, led by former minister Ashok Kumar Rai, who has experience in parliamentary politics, the Janata Samajbadi Party, and the Rastriya Mukti Party have entered the competition using the common/single 'Janto' (Grindstone) election symbol. Rai informed that around one hundred candidates were registered under the first-past-the-post system on behalf of the three parties.

According to JSP Chairman Rai, strengthening the country's independence, sovereignty, integrity, and national unity has been given the first priority in the manifesto. "The manifesto includes strengthening the Federal Democratic Republic, restructuring the federal structure scientifically based on identity and capability, enacting laws for the protected areas and special areas mentioned in the constitution, and establishing local levels as non-partisan community development units," he said.

In line with the demands of the new generation, the manifesto includes policies for political, economic, social, and administrative reforms for the country's progressive way forward; adopting a policy of social reform economy based on state, private sector, and community responsibility; creating an investment-friendly environment for mobilizing domestic and foreign capital and technology; implementing a policy of multi-purpose public participation and integrated development for the optimal utilization of water resources; and channeling the earnings of citizens employed abroad into hydropower and entrepreneurial sectors.

According to Jasmin Ojha, Co-General Secretary of the Janadesh Party Nepal, there is currently an electoral collaboration between the Janadesh Party and the Aam Janata Party under the joint symbol (Mobile), and they have candidates in more than 80 constituencies. She informed that they could not field candidates in many areas because the party was recently established. She stated that the Janadesh Party is currently advancing a campaign for nationwide organizational expansion. The Janadesh Party has also issued a 13-point commitment. They plan to support the families of martyrs and the injured who sacrificed for political change through a special fund and to allocate a special budget for Nepal's economic policy regarding climate change.

"We have set a target of 6.5-7.5 percent Gross Domestic Product growth, creating five lakh jobs from the agriculture and tourism sectors in coordination among federal, provincial, and local governments, and the formation of a special economic court to deliver justice to those affected by meter-interest, microfinance, and cooperatives has been included in the manifesto with high priority," said Ojha, who is also the coordinator of the manifesto drafting committee.

The Nepal Communist Party (United) has fielded 109 candidates under the proportional representation system and candidates in 35 constituencies under the first-past-the-post system. The faction led by Ghanashyam Bhusal, a leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist), has merged into the Nepal Communist Party (United). The party's election symbol is the sickle. General Secretary Kedarchandra Sharma informed that their presence is due to the failure of the main three political parties to work in favor of the people.
"Our policy includes zero tolerance towards corruption, barring members of parliament from becoming ministers, limiting MPs only to legislative work, limiting the Prime Minister to two terms, not allowing ministers and MPs to hold office more than four times, promoting entrepreneurship, creating employment, radical change in education, and providing 70 percent training and vocational education," he said. The party has given high priority to the three-pillar economic policy.