The breakaway faction of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has registered an application at the Election Commission (EC), seeking 10 more days to collect and verify the signatures of 40 percent members of the party’s central committee to legitimise the break-up and to register a new party.

The faction led by Pashupati Shumsher Rana announced a split from the mother party, headed by Kamal Thapa, to form Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Prajatantrik) on August 6. 

The RPP-P had submitted a list of 67 Central Working Committee members and 

16 lawmakers to the EC while applying for party registration.

But as per the clause 33 (2) of the Act on Political Parties, a faction willing to split must secure the support of 40 percent members of the central committee and the parliamentary party to form a new party. 

The RPP-P is struggling to ensure the support of 40 percent members of the RPP’s 156-strong central committee. 

“Rana’s faction has registered an application asking for 10 more days to complete the verification process. It says that some of the central committee members and parliamentary party members RPP are abroad and some are outside Kathmandu,” an EC official said on Sunday. 

The RPP-P is displeased with the EC for not recognising the “already verified 56 central committee members”, claiming that there is no reason to doubt the list submitted earlier.

The claim comes at a time when some of the central committee members of the RPP are accusing the Rana camp of forging their signatures.