Natural Law Party

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The Natural Law Party refers to a number of defunct political parties in more than 80 countries, which based their policies and beliefs on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Members believe that natural law is the supreme organizing principle that governs the universe, and that the problems of humanity are caused by people acting against this natural law. The Natural Law Party claims that it can realign humanity with this organizing principle through techniques such as the practice of Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program.

The various Natural Law Parties disbanded over a period of years from 2001-2006.

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[edit] United States

The Natural Law Party in the USA was founded in 1992 by a group of educators, business leaders, and lawyers in Fairfield, Iowa, who practiced Transcendental Meditation,[1].

The U.S. Natural Law Party ran as a third party that was largely center-left in ideology. It took liberal positions on abortion and gay rights, promised that it had scientific solutions to combat social ills such as poverty, crime, racism, bigotry.

The NLP ran Dr. John Hagelin, a physics professor at Maharishi University of Management, for president of the United States in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 elections, when he received fewer than 84,000 votes — or less than one tenth of one percent of the total number of votes.[2]

According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the NLP spent nearly $2.3 million on its presidential campaign in the 1999-2000 election cycle.[3] The Natural Law Party did not run a candidate for president in the 2004 U.S. election and it is no longer a registered party in the United States.

In 2000 Hagelin attempted to create an independent coalition between the Natural Law and Reform political parties; however, that failed when Patrick Buchanan took control of the Reform Party.

Between 2000–2004 the Natural Law Party sought to create an independent coalition of voters interested in election law reform. In 2002 the party endorsed Independence Party of Minnesota candidate for Minnesota Governor, Tim Penny. In 2004 the Natural Law Party endorsed Democratic Party presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich for President. Not long afterwards the Natural Law Party headquarters announced that it was shutting down and many state chapters followed suit. Hagelin went on to start the US Peace Government.

In 1996, the NLP ran more than 400 candidates in 48 states and had attracted support from Democrats, Republicans and independents.

The Idaho Natural Law Party remained active, and was prepared to have three candidates on the ballot for state and federal office in 2006 by entering into a coalition with the new United Party, and thus remained the only Natural Law Party still active in the United States of America. However, on June 16 the Idaho Natural Law Party changed its name to the United Party, effectively ending the Natural Law Party's presence on American ballots.

[edit] United Kingdom

The first Natural Law Party was launched in the UK, with Dr. Geoffrey Clements as Party Leader. The UK manifesto, like other NLP platforms in the subsequent decade, was founded on two assertions: (1) that the development of consciousness, in particular through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Program including Yogic Flying, can enhance individual capability to resolve societal problems, and (2) that the practice of these techniques by a critical mass of the population, or else their group practice, in particular the group practice of Yogi Flying, results in overall improvements in society, including reduced crime, accidents and hospital admissions and improvements in prosperity, security and quality of life. The party quoted peer-reviewed published scientific research for many of its assertions.

In the 1992 general election, 310 candidates stood for the NLP in the UK, garnering 0.19% of the vote; every candidate lost his or her deposit, for failing to receive at least 5% of the vote.[4] A significant number of constituencies were contested by nationals of countries outside the UK, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, as British electoral law allows any member of a Commonwealth country to stand for Parliament. A week before the 1992 general election, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi tried to convince George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to stand for election as MPs for Liverpool for the NLP.[5] Although they declined to stand for election, Harrison put on a fund-raising concert for the NLP during the campaign.

The NLP ran 16 candidates in the 20 by-elections held between 1992 and 1997 averaging 0.30% of the vote; every candidate lost his or her deposit. [6]

In the 1997 general election, the NLP ran 197 candidates for Parliament in the UK, garnering 0.10% of the vote; every candidate lost his or her deposit. [7]

The NLP ran 8 candidates for the 16 by-elections held between 1997 and 2001, averaging 0.10% of the vote; every candidate lost his or her deposit. [8]

The NLP did not run any candidates for Parliament in the 2001 general election or in the succeeding by-elections. [9][10]

The party ceased to submit accounts to the Electoral Commission from 2004.[1]

[edit] Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland had a Natural Law Party, centered in Dublin. Its highest profile candidate was Paddy Seery from Offaly. Currently, the party is supposedly disbanded.

[edit] Australia

In Australia some candidates gained as much as 10% of the vote in some electorates, but as in the UK and most other countries in which the Natural Law Party was active the party was discontinued after about 2001.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Roth, R:The Natural Law Party:A Reason to Vote, page 285. St. Martin's Press, 1998
  2. ^ Federal Elections 2000: 2000 Presidential Popular Vote Summary Table
  3. ^ Campaign Finance Disclosure Data Search
  4. ^ Summary Results 1992 Election
  5. ^ Miles, Barry, "Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now", Macmillan 1998, pp 429-430
  6. ^ Byelections in the 1992-1997 Parliament
  7. ^ Summary Results 1997 Election
  8. ^ [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1997.html Results of Byelections to the 52nd United Kingdom Parliament]
  9. ^ Summary Results 2001 Election
  10. ^ [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by2001.html Results of Byelections to the 53rd United Kingdom Parliament]

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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