KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 1

The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal today decided to write a letter to the Election Commission claiming that it was the authentic NCP. If the EC decides in its favour it can use the NCP flag and poll symbol.

A few days ago, the Election Commission wrote letters to both factions of the NCP led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Dahal-Nepal, saying that it could not endorse the change in the party's leadership made after December 20 and both Oli and Dahal were co-chairs of the NCP. The Dahal faction removed Oli from general membership of the party and made Nepal co-chairperson of the party. Oli, on the other hand, added more than 500 members to the Central Committee, besides stripping Dahal of executive power. None of these changes were accepted by the poll panel.

EC Commissioner Ishwori Prasad Paudyal had said that the poll panel did not take up the authenticity issue as none of the factions invoked Section 44 of the Political Party Act.

The Central Committee of the Dahal-Nepal faction met here today and endorsed the party's Standing Committee's decision to remove Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from the party's general membership and General Secretary Bishnu Prasad Paudel from the post of general secretary.

NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha told mediapersons after the Central Committee meeting that today's meeting was called after more than one-fourth of the CC members demanded the meeting.

Over two-thirds members of the CC attended today's meeting. Shrestha said the party directed all chapters to make the third phase of protest against the dissolution of the House of Representatives a success.

He said the party condemned the military coup in Myanmar and it was closely watching the political situation in that country.

He said his party was in favour of democracy and extended moral support to the democratic forces of Myanmar.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 2, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.