KATHMANDU, Nov 12: Following the Gen-Z movement and the government’s announcement of parliamentary elections on March 5, Nepal has witnessed a surge in political party registrations.
According to the Election Commission (EC), 23 new parties have applied for registration in the short period after the movement. However, only three of these parties have completed all the necessary procedures and received registration certificates. The registered parties include Shram Sanskriti Party led by Harka Sampang; Gatisheel Loktantrik Party led by Dinesh Raj Prasai; and Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal led by Kabir Sop. With these new additions, the total number of officially registered political parties in Nepal has now reached 126.
As of Wednesday, another 20 parties are still in the registration process. The EC is reviewing their applications and guiding them to complete the required formalities. Among them is Ujjyalo Nepal Party, led by Gyan Bahadur Tamang, which has been asked to submit additional documents in accordance with Annex-3 of the Political Parties Act, 2017. Other parties in the process include Rastriya Pariwartan Party (Ajay Kumar Rai), Nepal Liberal Party (Gopilal Neupane), Rastriya Gen-Z Party Nepal (Hira Prasad Seti), Communist Party Nepal (Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’), Hamro Party Nepal (Khagendra Sunar), Rastriya Urjasheel Party, Nepal (Yogendra Mandal), Rastriya Swaraj Party (Riyaz Ahmad Sheikh), Janadesh Party Nepal (Raman Kumar Karn), Sundar Nepal Nirwan Party (Chandra Prakash Subedi), and Nepal Jansewa Party (Sabin Sigdel).
Additional proposed parties include Ratna Prasad Shrestha’s Nagarik Sarwachchata Party, Nepal; Rajkumar Kakshapati’s Nepal Communist Party (Bampanthi Kendra); Sundar Ram Bohara’s Awaz Party; Ganesh Kumar Mandal’s Sarwabhaum Nagarik Party; Madhav Prasad Khatiwada’s Nagarik Bachau Dal, Nepal; Akbar Khan’s Rastra Nirwan Dal Nepal; Raman Kumar Karn’s Dal Janadesh Party Nepal; and Prashant Singh’s People First Party, all of which have submitted applications and are currently in the registration process. Meanwhile, the Nepal Communist Party Ekata Rastriya Abhiyan, led by Bamdev Gautam, has had its party deregistered by the EC.
COVID-19: Second wave much deadlier than the first wave
The EC has strict procedural requirements for party registration. According to joint spokesperson Prakash Neupane, parties must submit a clear statute, manifesto, and regulations, along with at least 500 supporter signatures from individuals who are not members of any other political party. At least 21 central committee members must be present to authenticate the party’s leadership. Neupane stated that the commission thoroughly scrutinizes all documents attached to the application and sends the supporters’ signatures to the respective districts for verification.
Most new parties have struggled to meet these requirements. Many could not gather 500 verified supporter signatures, while some lacked complete statutes or the required number of central members, stalling their registration. The EC has set November 16 as the deadline for completing registration procedures, warning that parties failing to meet the requirements will not be eligible to contest in the upcoming elections.
The post-Gen-Z movement wave of new party registrations reflects growing political awareness and demand for alternative politics, especially among the youth. While enthusiasm is high, legal and procedural hurdles remain a major challenge, and how many parties can finally establish themselves in time for the elections remains to be seen.
Most parties struggle with procedures: What each lacks
Ujjyalo Nepal Party (Gyan Bahadur Tamang) was asked by the EC on October 29 to submit additional details in accordance with Annex-3 of the Political Parties Act, 2017, citing incomplete documentation. Rastriya Gen-Z Party Nepal (Hira Prasad Seti) was also asked to submit fundamental documents, including party statute, bylaws, manifesto, and other materials as required under Annex-3.
Communist Party Nepal (Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’) has yet to submit certified central committee signatures, a commitment letter, an Excel file of supporters’ details, bylaws, and manifesto, all in accordance with Annex-3, causing the registration process to stall. Janayug Party (Nawaraj Subedi) must provide certified central committee details and decisions, a commitment letter, an Excel sheet of supporters, and statutes including Annex 1, 2, and 3. Rastriya Pariwartan Party (Ajay Kumar Rai) has submitted supporters’ details, which are still under verification by the EC. Nepal Liberal Party (Gopilal Neupane) is preparing for district-level verification of its supporters after submitting documents as per Annex-3.
Hamro Party Nepal (Khagendra Sunar), Rastriya Urjasheel Party Nepal (Yogendra Mandal), and Rastriya Swaraj Party (Riyaz Ahmad Sheikh) have sent their supporters’ details to respective districts based on submitted commitment letters and are awaiting reports. Nepal Jansewa Party (Sabin Sigdel) and Nagarik Sarwachchata Party Nepal (Ratna Prasad Shrestha) still need to add voter numbers to their Excel sheets, delaying processing. Janadesh Party Nepal (Raman Kumar Karn) has not yet submitted its Excel sheet with supporter details. Nepal Rastriya Yuwa Party (Himalaya Bahadur Chand) has only submitted an individual application letter, with other procedural steps incomplete.
Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal (Kabir Sop) has completed the supporters’ verification process and reached the final stage of registration, eventually receiving its certificate. Other parties, including Sundar Nepal Nirwan Party (Chandra Prakash Subedi), Nepal Communist Party (Bampanthi Kendra) (Rajkumar Kakshapati), Awaz Party (Sundar Ram Bohara), Sarwabhaum Nagarik Party (Ganesh Kumar Mandal), Nagarik Bachau Dal Nepal (Madhav Prasad Khatiwada), Rastra Nirwan Dal Nepal (Akbar Khan), and People First Party (Prashant Singh), are in various procedural stages, struggling to meet all registration requirements.
The EC issued instructions regarding these procedures on November 10, and parties have been advised to complete all requirements promptly to secure eligibility for the upcoming elections.
