By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 14: The two factions of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Wednesday separately presented their written claims for the party’s official recognition and election symbol at the Election Commission.
The EC has registered the written claims of both, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s faction and Prachanda-Nepal led faction.
In the written claims, both sides had claimed that they were the official party of the NCP.
On January 7, the EC had written to Chairmen of the NCP Prime Minister KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ asking them to present written response to the commission.
Leader Subash Chandra Nembang, Home Minister, Finance Minister, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Education Minister, leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and State Minister Rambir Manandhar had represented Oli’s faction at the EC where they presented their claims before Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya and Commissioners Ishwari Prasad Poudyal and Narendra Dahal.
From the NCP Oli’s faction, representatives led by Nembang including ministers Ram Bahadur Thapa, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Parbat Gurung, Rambir Manandhar, leaders Bishnu Rimal, Keshab Badal, Minister of Bagmati Province Rameshwar Phuyal and so forth were present at the EC.
After submitting the letter at the EC, leader Nembang said, “The commission had asked some question to us. Thus, we visited the EC with a written answer.”
“The first Chairman of the NCP is KP Sharma Oli and his signature is legitimate and applicable in all documents and works of the party,” said leader Nembang. “In the documents presented by Prachanda-Nepal led faction, Oli is the first Chairman and Bishnu Prasad Poudel is the general secretary. As they have not appointed another general secretary, the only general secretary of the party is with us. Thus due to various official reasons like such, we have the legitimate claim to the party and election symbol.”
The leaders also voiced that as holding the election was the chief responsibility of the commission and as the Supreme Court had not issued a ‘stay order’ against the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the EC should take the preparations for the mid-term election forward.
“We had also raised concerns regarding the EC’s preparations to hold the upcoming mid-term election upon which the commission responded that the preparations of the election were moving forward and an all-party meeting would be called soon,” said Nembang adding, “The commission is determined in holding the election on the scheduled date.”
Meanwhile, Lila Mani Pokharel, Rajendra Pandey of the Prachanda-Nepal faction of NCP reached the EC to furnish reply to the commission about the recognition of the party.