Natural Law Party

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. At its peak, it was active in up to 74 countries; it continues in India and at the state level in the United States. The party defines "natural law" as the organizing intelligence which governs the natural universe. The Natural Law Party advocates using the Transcendental Meditation technique and the TM-Sidhi program as tools to enliven natural law and reduce or eliminate problems in society.

Prominent candidates included John Hagelin for U.S. president and Doug Henning as representative of Rosedale, Toronto, Canada. George Harrison performed a benefit concert in support of the party in 1992. 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 2002, in the USA, its organization was reported to rival that of other "established third parties", but most party chapters have since disbanded.

According to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 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. The American branch of the party was founded later that year in Fairfield, Iowa U.S.A. by educators, business leaders, lawyers and other supporters of the Transcendental Meditation movement. The party was active in many countries and delegates from 60 countries attended an international convention in Bonn, Germany in 1998. 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 Scotland and Wales, party advertisements proclaimed that "natural law which silently governs the whole universe in perfect order and without a problem." The Scotland and Wales branch of the party promised reduced pollution, the elimination of genetically modified crops and an increase in sustainable agriculture. They also supported free college education and the use of the Transcendental Meditation technique in the school system. In the UK, NLP candidate Geoffrey Clements advocated the use of Transcendental Meditation and the TM-Sidhi program's yogic flying practice to reduce crime and war deaths. In the U.S.A. its platform included clean energy, labeling of genetically modified foods, a ban on the construction of nuclear energy plants, and an end to political action committees.

The Natural Law Party was reported in 1998 to be active in 74 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 1993, Bevan Morris campaigned for a seat in a district in suburban Adelaide for the Australian House of Representatives on the NLP ticket. The party contested several federal and state elections between 1990 and 1998.^{[citation needed]}

The Natural Law Party was active in the Canadian federal elections of 1993, 1997 and 2000 and in provincial elections in Ontario and Quebec during this period; it was deregistered in 2003.

In Croatia, a party member was elected to a regional assembly in 1993.