The Natural Law Party (NLP) is a transnational party founded in 1992 on "the principles of Transcendental Meditation", the laws of nature, and their application to all levels of government.
George Harrison performed a benefit concert in support of the party in 1992.
In the USA its organization was reported to rival that of other "established third parties". ==History and platform== According to the Maharishi, the Natural Law Party (NLP) was first founded in the United Kingdom in March 1992 and was later established in the United States, France, Austria, Germany, Croatia, Israel, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Chile, Thailand and Canada.
In the 1992 elections the Natural Law Party won 1,734 votes (0.06%), and in the 1999 elections, won 2,924 votes (0.09%), both below the then 1.5% electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset.
It received 1,590 votes, but failed to win a seat. ===United Kingdom=== The Natural Law Party was founded in the United Kingdom in March 1992.
According to Harrison, a week before the general election, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi suggested to Harrison that he, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr stand for election as MPs for Liverpool as NLP candidates, but they declined. In the 1997 general election, the NLP ran 197 candidates for Parliament in the UK, garnering 0.10% of the vote, with every candidate losing their deposit. The NLP ran 16 candidates in the 20 by-elections held between 1992 and 1997, with every candidate losing their deposit.
Afterwards, NLP representatives participated in the "special elections to the Northern Ireland Forum", but withdrew before the election. ===United States=== The Natural Law Party (United States) ran John Hagelin as its presidential candidate in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
Electoral success was achieved by the Ajeya Bharat Party in India, which elected a legislator to the state assembly, and the Croatian NLP, which elected a member of their regional assembly in 1993.
In 2009, the Ajeya Bharat Party president, Ambati Krishnamurthy, filed a complaint against another party for using a flag similar to its own. ===Ireland=== The Natural Law Party became active in Ireland in 1994 and was based in Dublin.
In the 1994 general elections it won 24,897 votes (0.06%) for the Chamber of Deputies and 86,588 votes (0.26%) for the Senate.
The party, along with its Northern Ireland wing, voluntarily deregistered with the Electoral Commission at the end of 2003. ====Northern Ireland==== It contested its first election in Northern Ireland in the 1994 EU elections.
It did not win any representation. === Trinidad and Tobago === The Natural Law Party in Trinidad and Tobago contested the 1995 general elections.
In the 1996 general elections the Natural Law Party ran candidates only in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region, who won 8,298 votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 5,842 for the Senate (about 1% on a regional basis, 0.2% in the whole country). === New Zealand === The Natural Law Party contested New Zealand general elections such as the 1996 election.
Afterwards, NLP representatives participated in the "special elections to the Northern Ireland Forum", but withdrew before the election. ===United States=== The Natural Law Party (United States) ran John Hagelin as its presidential candidate in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
The party leader was John Burns, who was one of nine Natural Law Party candidates in the 1997 general election.
According to Harrison, a week before the general election, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi suggested to Harrison that he, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr stand for election as MPs for Liverpool as NLP candidates, but they declined. In the 1997 general election, the NLP ran 197 candidates for Parliament in the UK, garnering 0.10% of the vote, with every candidate losing their deposit. The NLP ran 16 candidates in the 20 by-elections held between 1992 and 1997, with every candidate losing their deposit.
The NLP ran eight candidates for the 16 by-elections held between 1997 and 2001, averaging 0.10% of the vote, with every candidate losing their deposit.
The party was active in many countries and delegates from 60 countries attended an international convention in Bonn, Germany in 1998.
It was formed in late 1998 as the political wing of the Maharishi Vedic Vishwa Prashasan (MVVP (Maharishi Global Administration Through Natural Law)), which had nominated thirty-four candidates in the February 1998 parliamentary election from Madhya Pradesh.
For the November 1998 election, the Ajeya Bharat had a list of 100 candidates for the Assembly.
In addition, there were four candidates in the European elections of 1999.
Burns, who also contested the 1999 Dublin South-Central by-election, spent only £163 on his campaign.
After 1999, the party ceased to field candidates in Ireland.
In the 1992 elections the Natural Law Party won 1,734 votes (0.06%), and in the 1999 elections, won 2,924 votes (0.09%), both below the then 1.5% electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset.
The amount of corporate political donations in 2000 was nil. ===Israel=== The Natural Law Party of Israel (מפלגת חוק הטבע של ישראל, Mifleget Hok HaTeva Shel Yisrael) was a minor political party in Israel.
Afterwards, NLP representatives participated in the "special elections to the Northern Ireland Forum", but withdrew before the election. ===United States=== The Natural Law Party (United States) ran John Hagelin as its presidential candidate in 1992, 1996, and 2000.
It attempted to merge with the Reform Party in 2000.
The NLP ran eight candidates for the 16 by-elections held between 1997 and 2001, averaging 0.10% of the vote, with every candidate losing their deposit.
The NLP did not run any candidates for Parliament in the 2001 general election or in the succeeding by-elections.
The party, along with its Northern Ireland wing, voluntarily deregistered with the Electoral Commission at the end of 2003. ====Northern Ireland==== It contested its first election in Northern Ireland in the 1994 EU elections.
The party became largely inactive in the United States in 2004 and was discontinued in the Netherlands in 2007. The party had its foundation in the principles of Transcendental Meditation and was committed to "prevention oriented government and conflict free politics" through holistic health programmes and the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
The NLP in the United States was largely disbanded in 2004.
The party became largely inactive in the United States in 2004 and was discontinued in the Netherlands in 2007. The party had its foundation in the principles of Transcendental Meditation and was committed to "prevention oriented government and conflict free politics" through holistic health programmes and the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
In 2008, Nayak left the party to rejoin the Congress Party.
In 2009, the Ajeya Bharat Party president, Ambati Krishnamurthy, filed a complaint against another party for using a flag similar to its own. ===Ireland=== The Natural Law Party became active in Ireland in 1994 and was based in Dublin.
It has not run in an election since and its website states it has ceased political activity, but as of 2018 it is still registered as a party in Israel. ===Italy=== The Natural Law Party in Italy (Partito della Legge Naturale, PLN) participated in several (both general and local) elections in the nineties.
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