Miscellaneous
EC turns down RPP-N faction’s pleas
The Election Commission (EC) has rejected the application filed by the splinter group of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal demanding a share of seatsBhadra Sharma
The Election Commission (EC) has rejected the application filed by the splinter group of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal demanding a share of seats obtained under the proportional representation (PR) system.
The EC board on Tuesday decided that the application process was flawed. It maintained that the claim to a share of PR seats without the formation of the parliamentary board and the demand for new party formation before completion of the election process were against electoral laws.
"The EC cannot register a new party before the completion of the election process. Claiming won seats before the formation of the parliamentary board is unlawful," said Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety.
CEC Uprety said the application was filed citing a wrong clause of the election law. "They should have claimed themselves to be the official RPP-Nepal, instead of introducing themselves as a splinter group to the Commission," said Uprety.
On Monday, 20 central committee members of RPP-Nepal decided to part ways and form a new party after Chairman Kamal Thapa refused to review the party's decision to allot its PR seats.
The splinter faction led by Tanka Dhakal claimed 11 seats (40 percent of the total 24) in reflection of the number of central committee members that had come to his fold. Despite failing to win a single direct election seat, the pro-monarchy RPP-Nepal has secured 24 seats in the PR category.
In response to the EC decision, the disgruntled faction has vowed to appeal to the court for justice. "Now we will move the court," said Advocate Bal Krishna Neupane, who is in the breakaway faction.
Meanwhile, the EC has started investigations into the PR name lists submitted by the parties to verify whether they are in line with inclusive provisions. Following initial investigation, the EC on Tuesday asked the Janamukti Party to correct the names within three days of receiving the notice as it had violated the inclusive provision.
The party that won two PR seats has submitted both the names from indigenous communities. More than one month after the November 19 polls, the Constituent Assembly is yet to convene.
Establishment asks splintered group to talk issues out
KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Prajantra Party-Nepal (RPP-Nepal) has asked its splinter group to sort out differences within the party.
The party's central committee (CC) on Tuesday gave the break-away faction two days to withdraw its application for new party formation from the Election Commission and sort out issues through dialogue.
The CC also decided to make compromises on all issues except revising the list of lawmakers under the proportional representative (PR) election category. "The meeting decided to correct weaknesses and lapses in the party, if any," said RPP-Nepal spokesman Mohan Shrestha.
A group of 20 CC members led by former minister Tanka Dhakal spilt from the party following differences over the list of PR lawmakers. The breakaway faction decided to form a new party called Nepali RPP, demanding 40 percent of the 24 lawmakers RPP-Nepal got under the PR system.
However, the disgruntled leaders said they are not ready for a compromise unless the party agrees to revise the list of lawmakers. "There are still ways for revision. If they [RPP-Nepal leadership] want unification, they must revise the PR list first," said Raja Ram Shrestha. The splinter group accused the RPP-Nepal leadership of holding its leader Dhakal hostage for around two hours. According to Bal Krishna Neupane, another leader of the faction, a group of 50 youths close to RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa forcefully took Dhakal to the CC meeting and compelled him to agree on party unification.
Shrestha denied the charge and said Dhakal came to the meeting on his own and addressed the meet for 23 minutes. (PR)