The Dahal-Nepal faction of CPN has staked claims with the Election Commission for official recognition as per clause 44 of the act about political parties.
A group of leaders including the faction's chairmen Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal and others reached the Election Commission on Tuesday with signatures of 275 central members to apply for official recognition.
Leader Leela Mani Pokharel told Setopati that the faction has staked claims for official recognition as per clause 44 of the act about political parties. He added that the faction has submitted signatures of 275 central members as the Election Commission has officially recognized the 441 central members.
He added that the faction also informed the Election Commission that the party has expelled Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli from the party in a way that he is not even a general member and removed Bishnu Paudel as general secretary.
Pointing that the faction has already submitted the signatures of central members to the Election Commission, Pokharel assured that the faction will bring the central members to the Election Commission in person if necessary.
The faction's central committee meeting held at Karki's Banquet, Babar Mahal on Monday had decided to stake claims with the Election Commission for official recognition. It had also expelled PM Oli from the party in a way that he is not even a general member and removed Bishnu Paudel as general secretary.
The faction's standing committee meeting on January 24 had decided to expel Oli in a way that he is not even a general member. The central committee meeting endorsed the decision on Monday.
The Election Commission has sidestepped the legal resolution of CPN's dispute. It has told the erstwhile CPN Chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal that the previous details of the ruling party stand valid.
The faction of Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal had removed Oli as chairman and replaced him with Nepal after Oli dissolved the House on December 20 while Oli had removed Dahal as executive chairman and expanded the central committee to 1,500 to manufacture majority in the central committee.
The two factions had informed the Election Commission about those decisions.
The Dahal-Nepal faction claims that it has support of almost 70 percent of the central committee members at the time of registration with the Election Commission and the Oli faction points that the faction that has the top-ranked chairman (Oli) and general secretary (Bishnu Paudel) is the official CPN.
The Election Commission had sought documents from both the factions after the dispute about recognition arose. It had then told both the factions that the decisions taken were not in accordance to the statute.
The Election Commission in this way officially recognized the united party registered with it having Oli and Dahal as two chairmen even as the party has virtually split.
It has since explained that it has not recognized any faction as neither faction has applied for official recognition.
Election Commissioner Ishwori Paudel stated after holding discussion with leaders of the KP Sharma Oli faction on Friday that none of the two factions have applied for official recognition.
"Both the factions have only asked us to update the decisions they took. The Election Commission has not taken any decision on official recognition," Paudel stated. "Should we split their party to grant official recognition they have not asked?"
He compared the current dispute in ruling CPN with that of brothers who have yet to file a case about inheritance. "Brothers are bickering. Everybody knows that one is slamming the other but we cannot say they have parted ways until they lodge an inheritance case with the court," he added.
