As many as 11 political parties, including the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) and Deshbhakta Janatantrik Morcha-Nepal— an electoral arm of CPN-Maoist, have submitted their documents for the party registration process at the Election Commission (EC).

With the third phase of local elections scheduled to take place on September 18 and two other elections— provincial and national parliamentary—due to be held before January 21, 2018,  several new political parties as well as those that boycotted or sat out the first and the second phases of the local level elections are in the middle of the party registration process with the intent of participating in the coming elections, according to EC officials.

The RJP-N, a party formed after the merger of six Madhes-centric forces, registered its name in the EC on Friday having earlier refused to participate in the two stages of the local level elections that were conducted in provinces, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on May 14 and June 28. 

The RJP-N, which was against holding of the local level elections without first addressing the demands of Madhes— among others, remapping of constituencies primarily based on population and entrusting concerned provinces with the authority to realign their local boundaries, is expected to participated in the third phase of the local elections scheduled to take place in eight districts of Province 2 in September. 

The RJP-N’s decision to register its name at the EC was prompted by the tabling of a bill in Parliament by the government with the aim of addressing the concerns of Madhes.

Besides RJP-N, the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist has also registered the name of its electoral arm at the EC. The party’s electoral arm, Deshbhakta Janatantrik Morcha, is headed by CP Gajurel.

The CPN-Maoist, a breakaway party of CPN (Maoist Centre), did not contest in the first and the second phases of the local level elections.

However, some of the members of the party had vied in the electoral race as independent candidates in more than 60 districts and won the posts of ward chairpersons and ward members in some local units.

Gajurel, also the vice-chairman of CPN-Maoist, said the party’s electoral arm under his leadership would be taking part in the upcoming elections to keep the party’s organisational network intact and to expose the syndicate of three big political parties.

Ekaktrit Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Rastrabadi), a new party led by former Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leader Prakash Chandra Lohani, has also registered its name at the EC. 

Lohani said they had already submitted the documents required for party registration to the EC.  

The other parties that have registered their names at the EC are: Kirat Khumbuwan Loktantrik Party, Nepal Darshan Party, Samajik Loktantrik Party-Nepal, 33 Daliya Morcha, Dalit Muslim Janashakti Party, Nepal Shanti Chhetra Parishad, Sanghiya Khumbuwan Loktantrik Party-Nepal and a party whose name could not be immediately confirmed.

According to the EC officials, these parties have registered their names for the purpose of carrying out organisational activities as per article 269 of the constitution.

The parties registered under article 269 should register the party separately for participation in elections as per the article 271 of the constitution. 

The EC has plans to register all the parties within the current fiscal year so that it could seek the annual audit report of current fiscal year from them.