Nepal Communist Party's rival faction declares 3rd phase of agitation against dissolution

As the political crisis tightens its grip on Nepal, the rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party on January 25 has announced the third phase of agitation against Prime minister KP Oli’s decision of dissolving the House of Representatives, the lower house, reported news agency ANI.

Earlier,  the Election Commission on January 24 refused to recognise either of the factions of the Nepal Communist Party - one led by PM KP Oil and the other by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar. According to ANI, the poll panel said that both the factions have failed to follow the Political Parties Act 2017 and party statute. It is important to mention that both the factions had filed an application in the Election Commission claiming authenticity along with the election emblem the 'Sun'. 

The spokesperson for Election Commission Raj Kumar Shrestha said, “Decisions made by both the parties didn't come in line with the party's statute. As the decisions don't fall in line, we can't update the details of the Nepal Communist Party. We have notified both chairman KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal about it, making them clear that the Commission will maintain existing details of the party”. 

Read - Nepal Election Commission Refuses To Recognise Either Faction Of Ruling NCP

Read - Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli Expelled From Ruling Communist Party Over Dissolution Of Parliament

KP Oli expelled from the NCP

Following the dissolution of the 275-member House, Nepal Communist Party expelled PM Oli from the party in a decision taken by a Central Committee Meeting as disciplinary action. "His membership has been revoked", the spokesperson for the splinter group, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, told news agency ANI. Reportedly, the party leaders are now also planning further action against KP Oli post his ouster threatening 'serious disciplinary actions' against him. 

“Today’s Central Committee Meeting which conveyed at Paris Danda decided to remove KP Sharma Oli from the party. He no longer holds even a simple membership of the Nepal Communist Party,” Shrestha told the news agency.

The chaos was kickstarted by Oli decision back on December 20, 2020, to dissolve the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Nepali Parliament and touted the move as the only way to resolve the budding disputed and non-cooperation in the party that according to him led to a “state of inaction”. However, the abrupt move by the 68-year-old pushed the country into general elections, more than a year ahead of schedule and a flurry of court petition challenging the decision. 

Read - Tens Of Thousands Protest Against Nepal's Prime Minister

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