KATHMANDU, Jan 11: Leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (Dahal-Nepal faction) visited the Election Commission on Monday and advised the election body to stop the preparations for the midterm elections scheduled for April 30 and May 10.
Chairmen duo of the faction, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, went to the EC headquarters to advise it that it should not make preparations as over a dozen cases filed against the dissolution of the House of Representatives are sub judice at the Supreme Court and EC's preparations for the polls should not influence the court's verdict, according to leaders.
Mukti Pradhan, a leader of the Dahal-Nepal faction, told Republica that chairmen Dahal and Nepal visited the poll body today in line with the decision made by the Secretariat meeting of the faction on Sunday.
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"We are of the view that the Election Commission's ongoing preparations for elections could impact the hearing on cases registered against the House dissolution at the apex court. Hence, the leaders urged the EC to suspend the preparations being made for the polls," Pradhan said.
Leaders Leela Mani Pokharel, Surendra Pandey, Ram Narayan Bidari, and Krishna Bhakta Pokharel also attended the meeting at the EC headquarters in Kathmandu.
The Dahal-Nepal faction of the NCP has already launched an agitation against the House dissolution and scheduling of the midterm polls saying that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's move is against the spirit of the constitution and the House be reinstated.
Following a vertical split in the ruling party more than two weeks ago, the two factions of the NCP approached the EC seeking their official recognition from the poll body. However, the EC is yet to make a final decision regarding granting official recognition to one of the two factions.
