•      Wed Nov 6 2024
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Five former chief election commissioners urge EC to immediately decide on party dispute



election commission
The Election Commission of Nepal (file photo)

KATHMANDU: Former five Chief Election Commissioners have urged the Election Commission to take an ‘appropriate’ decision at the earliest on the dispute revolving the ruling political party in line with established precedents and existing laws.

Issuing a joint statement on Wednesday, Surya Prasad Shrestha, Bhoj Raj Pokharel, Nilkantha Upreti, Dr Ayodhi Prasad Yadav and Dolakh Bahadur Gurung commented on the matter at a time when dispute of Nepal Communist Party over party authenticity has not been resolved yet.

“We have become serious about questions over autonomy and decision making capacity of the EC over its delay in resolving dispute of political parties,” they said in the statement.

They suggested that the EC takes a decision in this regard soon by taking into account the seriousness and impact on the country’s political process. EC’s indecision impacts its image, they warned.

The Election Commission has said that it has consulted former Chief Election Commissioners, lawyers and others in regards to find way out on dispute of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Politically, the party has already divided, but technically it is still one party.

Both the faction of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Prachanda-Madhav have been claiming that they have the legitimacy to claim party leadership and election symbol as ‘Sun’. The Prachanda-Madhav have been claiming that they have almost two-third majority in Central Committee, majority in House, party’s Standing Committee and Secretariat.

Prachanda-Madhav faction have also submitted their list of Central Committee members to the Election Commission.

However, KP Sharma Oli have also reformed and expanded the Central Committee, and claimed the legitimacy.