The State Affairs Committee (SAC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday agreed to impose a threshold of three percent votes under Proportional Representation and at least one seat under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) to secure the status of a national political party. 

A meeting of the committee endorsed the proposal to impose threshold provision with a majority, House Secretariat Spokesperson Bharatraj Gautam said. The proposal will be forwarded to the House meeting. 

Earlier in the day, a sub-committee under the SAC headed by lawmaker Ananda Prasad Dhungana concluded its homework on Bill Related to Political Parties deciding to impose a three percent threshold. 

The parties agreed to have the provision of three percent votes under the proportional representation and at least one seat under the FPTP category to get recognition as a national party, sub-committee member Rameshwor Phuyal said. “It will put a check on the anarchic activities of the parties to some extent,” said Phuyal. 

However, sub-committee members from Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party Prem Suwal and CPN-ML Aindra Sundar Nembang expressed a note of dissent on the decision.

Earlier, Phuyal had been insisting on imposing five percent threshold for PR category. 

Home Minister will table the proposal as a bill in the House meeting. The bill requires endorsement from the Legislature-Parliament and authentication from the president before it is signed into law and implemented. 

CPN-ML lawmaker Nembang said the fringe parties have strong reservations over the obligatory provision of three percent votes under PR and minimum one seat under FPTP brought by the parties who have been advocating for inclusive democracy. He claimed that the provision is against the spirit of proportionality and inclusiveness and will stymie the fundamental rights granted by the constitution to open new party. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The sub-committee under the parliamentary State Affairs Committee has reached a consensus on the bill regarding the political parties on Wednesday.

As per the provision, for any political party to be recognized as a national party they must secure at least one seat under first-past-the-post (FPTP) and three percent proportional vote.

Committee member Ram Krishna Yadav informed that a meeting of the sub-committee held at Singha Durbar this morning forged a consensus despite objections from fringe parties.

Nepal Workers Pheasants Party leader Prem Suwal, CPN-ML leader Aindrasindar Nembang, among other leaders, from fringe parties objected to the provision of securing three percent threshold on PR and one FPTP seat.