Nepal Election Commission refuses to recognise either faction of ruling NCP

Amid the political crisis in Nepal, the Election Commission on January 24 refused to recognise either of the factions of the Nepal Communist Party - one led by PM KP Oil and the other by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar. According to ANI, the poll panel said that both the factions have failed to follow the Political Parties Act 2017 and party statute. It is important to mention that both the factions had filed an application in the Election Commission claiming authenticity along with the election emblem the 'Sun'. 

The spokesperson for Election Commission Raj Kumar Shrestha said, “Decisions made by both the parties didn't come in line with the party's statute. As the decisions don't fall in line, we can't update the details of the Nepal Communist Party. We have notified both chairman KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal about it, making them clear that the Commission will maintain existing details of the party”. 

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The recent decision by the EC comes after Nepal Communist Party expelled PM Oli from the party in a decision taken by a Central Committee Meeting. "His membership has been revoked", the spokesperson for the splinter group, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, told news agency ANI. The party leaders are now also planning further action against KP Oli post his ouster threatening 'serious disciplinary actions' against him. 

Nepal's political crisis 

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after the Prime Minister Oli in a surprise move recommended dissolving the 275-member House, amidst a tussle for power with former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. The Nepal PM had proposed holding fresh elections for April and May this year, a decision which was accepted by the President with elections being scheduled for April 30 and May 10. The Prachanda-led faction of the party, however, came down heavily on this move saying, "By dissolving the House, Oli has given a blow to the Constitution as well as the democratic republic system which has been established in the country through seven decades of struggle by the people."

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Moreover, Oli had not mentioned any constitutional clauses while recommending dissolution of the lower house to President Bidya Devi Bhandari, showed a leaked paper from the Supreme Court of Nepal. The leaked paper stated, "There is a necessity of two-third majority Government. According to the basic essence and values of Nepal's Constitution and Parliamentary system and practice of our own and various countries with a parliamentary system". "It is to be recommended to President to dissolve House of Representatives of incumbent Federal Assembly and head for polls on April 30 for the first phase and May 10 for the second phase."

(With inputs from ANI)

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