Kathmandu, February 14
The Dahal-Nepal faction of the recently split Nepal Communist Party has urged the Election Commission to solve the dispute between two sides of the party about which is legitimate before thinking of and beginning any preparations for the next elections.
The commission had called all parties to a meeting today to discuss implementing a code of conduct for the House of Representatives elections announced for April 30 and May 10. However, the faction that has been arguing that the government’s decision of dissolving the House is illegal told the commission that solving the party dispute should be the constitutional body’s top priority.
The Dahal-Nepal faction’s leader Lila Mani Pokharel, who attended the meeting, informs Onlinekhabar, “We have asked them where they can hold the polls without solving the dispute of the party that holds 64 per cent of the votes. They have said they will respond to us.”
The faction has already submitted its application to the commission demanding its recognition as the legitimate side after the commission had refused to approve the split legally as both factions were reluctant to accept the party had split.
Nonetheless, people suspect if the decision comes in the Dahal-Nepal faction’s favour as the commission has assigned Ram Prasad Bhandari, a lawyer reportedly close to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, to look into the issue.
Earlier, the Oli-led faction had informed the commission of extending its central committee whereas the Dahal-Nepal faction had removed Oli from the chairpersonship, replacing him with Madhav Kumar Nepal. The Dahal-Nepal faction has already removed Oli even as a general member of the party.
