EC not to recognize UML's 260-member CC while authenticating CPN (Unified Socialist)

KATHMANDU, August 22: The Election Commission (EC) has maintained that it will not recognize the updated number of Central Committee members sent by the main opposition CPN-UML recently. 

The KP Sharma Oli-led UML expanded the Central Committee on the eve of party-split. The splinter faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal formed CPN (Unified Socialist.

“The commission will take a decision based on statute and number of CC members of UML before its splinter faction registered a new party,” an EC source told Ratopati.

With this, the EC will validate only 203 CC members of UML. Before Nepal registered as CPN (United Socialist), there were 203 CC members.

The poll body has summoned the splinter faction of UML led by Nepal on August 25 for authentication of their new political party. Nepal now needs to garner the support of 20 percent of 203 member CCs of UML.

Earlier on Tuesday, after Nepal registered CPN (United Socialist) at the EC, UNL had expanded its CC membership to 260 to 203. The CPN (United Socialist) has been accusing UML of willingly expanding its CC membership to restrict Nepal to garner support of 20 percent members of CC.

With the issuance of a party-split ordinance, any political party can be split if 20 percent of members of either the CC or parliamentary party are in favor of it.