The government and top leaders from four major political forces -- UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and United Madhesi Democratic Party (UDMF) -- showed flexibility to this effect at a meeting called by Regmi on Friday morning, a day after leaders from various political parties at an all-party meeting strongly objected to the provision.[break]
As per the proposed provision, a political party must secure at least 1 percent of valid votes to secure a seat in the legislature. The Election Commission had earlier this week proposed 1.5 percent threshold provision but later the body forwarded the draft ordinance to the government by reducing it to 1 percent as various political parties at an all-party meeting called by the Commission strongly protested against the criteria.
A statement issued by Regmi´s secretariat said that the chairman and the leaders discussed the proposed election-laws in view of various political parties´ objection to some draft provisions including the threshold criteria.
"The leaders discussed creating an environment conducive for election by making necessary amendments to the drafts in view of the suggestions given by various political parties," read the statement. "The discussion was focused mainly on accommodating the feedbacks on the 1 percent criteria on threshold and other election-related legal provisions."
Chairman Regmi, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Paudel, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and UDMF leader Raj Kishor Yadav joined the discussions held at the prime minister´s official residence at Baluwatar.
The UCPN (Maoist) and various other smaller political parties have strongly objected to the threshold provision while NC and UML, among some other parties, are in favor of the criteria.
Khanal while addressing a function in Kathmandu later in the day said that his party could be flexible over the proposed threshold criteria but wouldn´t be ready to remove the provision. "We are for 1.5 percent threshold provision. Now, the Election Commission has settled for 1 percent. We can be flexible over the percentage but the provision cannot be removed," said Khanal. But the small parties have been demanding that threshold should be removed altogether.
The ordinance draft will come into effect as an election law after the president endorses the ordinance to this effect.
Some smaller parties are dead set against the threshold criteria because many of the 33 political parties that were represented in the dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA) may not be able to secure any seat in the coming elections in the same strength if the criteria is implemented. In the past, there was no threshold provision for PR seats.
Only nine of the 33 political parties represented in the dissolved CA obtained votes above one percent of the total valid votes cast during the election.
A political party can ensure its seat in the legislature if it wins a seat directly from a constituency under the first-past-the-post electoral system even if the number of votes received by the party under the proportional quota is less than one percent.
Related story
How to become more flexible
