During an all-party meeting called by Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi on Thursday at Singh Durbar, Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML stood for the proposed threshold, while UCPN (Maoist) and Madhes-based political parties, among other parties, rejected it. [break]
The Election Commission (EC), in the draft ordinance on amending the Election of Members of the Constituent Assembly Act, 2013, has proposed that a political party must secure one percent of the total valid votes cast in the election to be eligible for proportional seats in Constituent Assembly (CA). Earlier, the constitutional body had proposed a threshold of 1.5 percent.
CPN-UML leader and advocate Agni Kharel stressed the need for threshold arguing that such practices are found in many democratic countries across the world. “If we follow other democratic norms and values, we should also follow the practice,” he stated.
Kharel maintained that the threshold provision can encourage various fringe political parties to unify for the polls.
NC central working committee member Minendra Rijal argued that the threshold provision would make the representation more inclusive.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara argued that the threshold provision is not necessary as CA polls are not like general elections, which are held on a regular basis. “All political parties must get a chance to be represented in CA as polls for CA is conducted once or twice in history,” he argued.
Mahara also rejected the proposal that allows persons convicted of criminal offenses or other offences involving moral turpitude, to file candidacy for CA election only six years after completing their sentences handed down by courts or other judicial authority.
“Such a provision should be scrapped as our country has just emerged from conflict,” he maintained.
According to the EC proposal, a person convicted of any crime including murder, theft, robbery, misappropriation of foreign currency, kidnap, rape, corruption, human trafficking, money laundering, banking irregularities, passport misuse, drug smuggling, jail break or abetting jail break by others, smuggling of protected wildlife or vegetation or objects of archeological importance, illegal trade and spying, among other illegal activities, or has shown moral turpitude, cannot be a member of any political party if he or she has not completed the sentence handed down by a court or any other legal authority.
Vice-chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Hridayesh Tripathi said the threshold provision would not be acceptable to his party. “Threshold provision should be for other elections but not for CA polls,” he stated.
Chairman of Rastriya Janashakti Party and former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur also opposed the threshold terming it unnecessary.
Leaders of other fringe parties stated that the proposed eligibility threshold for seats under the proportional representation electoral system will end the existence of fringe parties.
Addressing the meeting attended by 26 political parties, Regmi stated that the cabinet will approve the election related ordinances keeping with the view the suggestions of the political parties.
The Interim Election Council held the all-party meeting after the EC forwarded three ordinances -- ordinance on amending Election of Members of the Constituent Assembly Act, 2013, ordinance on amending Electoral Rolls Act, 2013 and ordinance on amending Election Commission Act, 2013 -- to the government.
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