Nepal’s Election Commission removed all legal hurdles, by amending certain rules, to recognize the split in the ruling Nepal Communist Party that happened after the factions of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal sparred over the dissolution of the lower house of parliament.   

A report in The Himalayan Times says, under the earlier rules, the Election Commission wasn’t authorized to entertain a case of any party split once the general elections were announced. Taking note of the current scenario, where the split request came after the announcement of the general elections, the commission amended its rules.

The Election Commission could now hear claims and counterclaims of parties’ faction regarding who should use the original party name, flag, and the election symbol during the election,  said Raj Kumar Shrestha, the spokesperson of the Election Commission. 

Neil Kanta Uprety, a former election commissioner, called the amendment positive steps under the current situation. He said the earlier rules were framed to avoid the split in parties during the election times. A split during the election could hamper the commission’s preparation for polls.