Nepal’s major parties confront over threshold law for CA elections

KATHMANDU: A meeting of Nepal’s lead political parties on Friday ended up inconclusively after serious differences arose on the provision of defining threshold laws to compete in the CA elections.

While other participating political parties argued against bringing any threshold laws, Nepali Congress and CPN UML pitched in for it.

During the discussion, CPN UML leaders opined that any political party which does not have the vote of even a percent of the total population cannot be regarded as a national level party.

Similarly the party also claimed that any party or politician facing martial laws should be restricted from contending in the CA races.
However other political parties, including the Madheshi Morcha, confronted the proposal stating that CA polls were special and that every force should be able to contend in it.

The party argued that if the provision of the threshold is implemented than political parties should make some provisions to ensure the participation of all interested parties and be inclusive.

Speaking during the meeting, TMLP leader Hrydesh Tripati said that his party has called on political parties to conduct the CA elections by following laws used during the erstwhile CA elections.

Along with that the meeting also discussed issues related to the size of the CA.

However, the meeting which excluded some 33 dissident fringe parties led by CPN-Maoist.

The meeting is the second one between the political parties and the government.

Leaders of the Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal-Democratic, Rastriya Janashakti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party -Nepal, and Chure Bhawar Ekta Party, among other parties were present in the meeting.