51 Parties Fail to Meet Threshold for Proportional Representation Seats in House of Representatives Election

Kathmandu. Following the completion of vote counting for the proportional representation (PR) category of the House of Representatives election, 51 of the participating political parties secured fewer votes than the threshold required for parliamentary representation.

Out of the total 57 parties that participated in the election held on Falgun 21 under the PR system, six parties are poised to enter parliament, while 51 parties failed to cross the minimum vote threshold.

The Election Commission stated that under the PR system, only parties securing at least three percent of the total valid votes cast are eligible for seat allocation.

Joint Election Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC informed that the legal provision is that the entire country is considered a single constituency for voting for parties, and candidates representing a party are elected as members of the House of Representatives in proportion to the total number of votes that party received.

According to him, out of 10,739,115 valid votes counted in the PR category, the Rastriya Swatantra Party secured the lead with 5,139,235 votes. Nepali Congress received 1,749,583, CPN (UML) received 1,404,854, CPN (Maoist Centre) received 805,773, Shram Sanskriti Party received 378,649, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party received 329,472 votes. He stated that other parties besides these failed to cross the threshold.

The parties that did not meet the minimum vote threshold include Janamat Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal with 174,317 votes, Rastriya Parivartan Party with 171,501, Janmat Party with 79,000, Ekala Chinha Chakia (Rashtriya Mukti Party Nepal, Janata Samajwadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Nepal) with 61,677, Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party with 42,246, Rashtra Nirman Dal Nepal with 38,933, Rastriya Janamorcha with 29,442, Ekala Chinha Bus (Nepal Sanghiya Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Ekta Party Nepal, Nepal Janata Sanrakshan Party) with 28,178, Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party with 24,617, Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) with 23,851, Mongol National Organization with 20,806, and Ek Chinha Mobile (Aam Janata Party, Janadesh Party Nepal) with 13,445 votes, informed Commission's Joint Spokesperson GC.

Furthermore, Rastriya Mukti Andolan Nepal received 10,695 votes, Sanyukta Nagarik Party received 980, Swabhiman Party received 8,132, Rastriya Janamukti Party received 7,207, Nepal Janata Party received 7,153, Rastriya Ekata Dal received 7,050, Nepal Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist) received 6,162, Rastriya Gaurav Party received 5,241, National Republic Nepal received 5,157, Nepal Ka Lagi Nepali Party received 5,007, Nepal Communist Party Marxist (Pushpalal) received 4,823, Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch received 4,668, Nepal Communist Party (Sanyukta) received 4,508, Rastriya Urja Party Nepal received 4,312, Samajwadi Party Nepal received 4,248, and Gatisheel Loktantrik Party received 4,248 votes.

Nepal Loktantrik Party received 4,100 votes, Nepal Matribhumi Party received 2,972, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal received 2,925, Bahujan Shakti Party Nepal received 2,266, Nepal Janamukti Party received 2,162, Janadhikar Party received 2,105, and Nepal Sadbhawana Party received 2,015 votes, informed Commission's Joint Spokesperson GC.

Piple First Party, Nepali Congress (BP), Nagarik Shakti Nepal, Nepal Janashramdan Sanskriti Party, Nepali Janata Dal, Samabesi Samajwadi Party, Janata Loktantrik Party Nepal, Ekala Chinha Jagar Bhayeko Singh (Sachet Nepali Party, Nagarik Sarvouchata Party Nepal) and Janapriya Loktantrik Party received less than two thousand votes, he stated.

In the First-Past-the-Post election system, the deposit of a candidate who receives less than ten percent of the total valid votes cast is forfeited. The Commission stated that this provision does not apply to elected candidates. In the PR election system, the deposit made by a party is forfeited if the party does not secure at least one seat, informed Commission's Joint Spokesperson GC.

According to him, as per the Political Parties Act, 2073, only parties securing at least three percent of the votes in the PR category and one seat in the First-Past-the-Post category of the House of Representatives election will receive recognition as a national party.