The main opposition party CPN-UML has split as the Khanal-Nepal faction has applied with the Election Commission for registration of a new party.
Leaders of the faction have reached the Election Commission office in Kantipath hours after President Bidya Devi Bhandari issued the ordinance about political parties Wednesday and applied for registration of a new party.
"We have applied. The Election Commission will give permission after studying about the name of our party and its election symbol," lawmaker Met Mani Chaudhary told Setopati.
The party will be named CPN-UML (Socialist) and its election symbol will be an open book, according to another leader Jagannath Khatiwada.
President Bhandari issued the ordinance about political parties earlier on Wednesday paving the way for the faction to split the party.
The ordinance will allow split of a party with support of just 20 percent in either the central committee or parliamentary party. The act about political parties requires support of 40 percent in both the parliamentary party and the central committee to split any political party.
The ordinance has been brought as the Khanal-Nepal faction cannot muster support of 40 percent in both the parliamentary party and the central committee to split CPN-UML.