Party choosing until September 17

KATHMANDU: AUGUST 29 – The Election Commission (EC) has given the members of the state assembly and local elected representatives until September 7 to elect the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) and the Democratic Socialist Party (LOSAPA).

The commission has issued a circular to the state election offices and district election offices directing them to identify the elected representatives who want to leave the UML and JSP by September 7, said Raj Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson of the commission.

After the Madhav Kumar Nepal and Mahanta Thakur groups registered their separate parties and received certificates based on the ordinance on political parties brought by the government, the commission has given 15 days to the leaders who want to leave UML and JSP to choose a party.

The UML’s Nepal faction and the JSP’s Thakur faction had filed a petition with the Election Commission on August 18 after the government issued an ordinance to split the party into only 20 per cent of the federal parliament or central members. They have been identified and recognized by the commission on Wednesday (August 25).

Although the ordinance provides for elected representatives at the state and local levels to be elected within 21 days of the formation of a new party, the commission has set a deadline of September 7 from the day of filing the application.