Kathmandu, March 8: To qualify as a national party in the House of Representatives, a party must win at least one seat in the first past the post system and secure three per cent of the proportional representation vote.
At the moment, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSPP, Nepali Congress, and CPN UML have already crossed the threshold required to become national parties. Even if they receive no further votes in the remaining counts, they will retain that status because they have already surpassed the three per cent share of the total votes cast.
The Nepal Communist Party has so far secured about six and a half per cent of the vote. Its final standing will depend on how many additional votes it receives from the remaining constituencies still being counted. Based on an estimate of around 11 million votes cast nationwide, a party needs more than 300,000 votes to cross the three per cent threshold. The Nepali Communist Party has so far obtained only about 166,000 votes. The RPP currently has around three and a half per cent of the vote, which equals roughly 91,000 votes.
To maintain national party recognition, it must continue receiving votes in the same proportion in the remaining counting areas. These parties have already secured at least one seat under the direct election system, which is also required for national party status.
The party closest to the threshold for national party recognition is the Shram Sanskriti Party Nepal. Its chairperson, Harka Sampang, is leading in Sunsari 1, where vote counting is nearing completion. Still, in the proportional representation category, the party needs a higher vote share. Current figures show the Shram Sanskriti Party has received only about two per cent of the total votes so far.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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