Miscellaneous
UML-Maoist unified party may not get CPN name
The CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) may not be able to register their unified party as the Communist Party of Nepal as another with the same name has already been registered with the Election Commission.The CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) may not be able to register their unified party as the Communist Party of Nepal as another with the same name has already been registered with the Election Commission.
Besides, the Maoist outfit led by Netra Bikram Chand has also been conducting its activities under the same name without registering with the EC. According to the seven-point basis for party unification that the two communist allies agreed to on Monday night, the new party would be named CPN.
According to Clause 6 (1E) of the Act on Political Parties, a party cannot be registered if its name and election symbol matches that of a political party already recognised by the election authority.
Clause 9 of the same Act says that the legal name, flag and symbol of a party will be protected, barring others from using them.
The official CPN is led by Rishiram Kattel, an old communist who worked under former UML leader Manmohan Adhikari as a member of the CPN (Marxist) before its merger with the CPN (Marxist Leninist) in 1991.
Some fringe communist factions came together to form the CPN under Kattel five years ago. It was registered with the poll body just before the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013.
Since then, the party also got registered for political activities as per Article 269 of the constitution and for participation in the elections as per Article 271 of the charter. The party got an election symbol—hammer and spade—but did not join the polls.
EC Spokesman Navaraj Dhakal made it clear that a new party cannot be registered in the same name while another has already been recognised by the commission. “But any party which comes up with an added name, comma or bracket could be considered for registration,” he said. However, EC officials said they would first see how the UML and the Maoist Centre approach the poll body with their decision on merger.