72 parties registered at Election Commission

December 7, 2005
1 MIN READ
A
A+
A-

KATHMANDU:   The Election Commission has officially granted permission to all 72 political parties that had applied to contest the upcoming municipal elections slated for February 8 next year.

The commission approved the registration of the final 16 on Tuesday. Earlier, 56 political parties had been registered.

Among those registered, 19 are new while 53 are old parties. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Sadvawana Party have already received the status of national parties by securing three percent of the total vote in previous elections.

128 parties had been registered for the previous general elections.

A total of 4,146 representatives will be elected in the elections to be held in one metropolis, four sub-metropolis and 53 municipalities in 43 districts of the country.

Two major national parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, have not registered at the commission for municipal election purpose. The alliance of seven opposition parties has decided to boycott the municipal polls saying it is a ploy to legitimize the royal government.

Even as the seven major opposition parties have declared to boycott all elections held by the royal government, the EC has said all preparations for the municipal polls have been completed and that they will be held on time.