KATHMANDU, Aug 26: The Election Commission (EC) has recognized the CPN (Unified Socialist) as a new political party. A meeting of the commission awarded the verification certificates to the CPN (Unified Socialist) under the chairmanship of Madhav Kumar Nepal, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) led by Mahantha Thakur was also registered at the poll body on Wednesday itself.
According to the spokesperson for the commission, Raj Kumar Shrestha, Secretary of the Commission Suresh Adhikari handed over the certificate of party registration to CPN-Unified Socialist leader Rajendra Prasad Pandey and Keshav Jha on behalf of DSP.
After revolting from the CPN- UML, 56 central members and 30 parliamentarians were present in person at the EC to verify themselves in favor of CPN (US).Based on the ordinance on political parties, central committee members and parliamentarians were called for verification from 11:30 AM to 2 PM on Wednesday.
Of the 58 names proposed, Bhaskar Kafle and Rabin Koirala, however, could not be verified. Former Prime Minister and senior party leader Jhala Nath Khanal was identified via the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, India.
Likewise, 30 members of the federal parliament also verified themselves in favor of the new party. Though the petitions of MPs Som Prasad Pandey, Mayadevi Gyawali and Sarada Bhatta were not signed, they were also among those who reached the commission for verification.
Following the split from the CPN (UML), the support of 41 central members out of the then existing 203 was required to get the new party's recognition. This is the second time that UML has split following 2054 BS over the issue related to the Mahakali treaty.
The Commission has also given party recognition to the Democratic Socialist Party Nepal led by leader Mahanta Thakur. Thakur led a group that disassociated themselves from the Janata Samajbadi Party.