The Dahal-Nepal faction is discussing when it should reach out to the Election Commission to ask it to resolve the Nepal Communist Party legitimacy dispute.

According to Rajendra Pandey, a Central Committee member of the Nepal Communist Party (Dahal-Nepal) faction, the election committee of the party on Thursday held a discussion over the issue and discussion will continue on Friday as well.

Ever since the Nepal Communist Party split on December 22, in the wake of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s decision to dissolve the House on December 20, the Dahal-Nepal faction has been staking claim to the party, the party emblem, flag and the election symbol.

The Election Commission, however, has refused to recognise its claim.

On Wednesday also, the faction’s Central Committee meeting had taken serious exception to the Election Commission’s delay in taking a decision on the Nepal Communist Party legitimacy dispute.

The Dahal-Nepal faction claims that it controls a majority of the 441 Central Committee members.

On January 3, the Dahal-Nepal faction had filed an application at the Election Commission, staking claim to the Nepal Communist Party as per Sections 43 and 44 of Political Parties Act-2017.

As the meeting of the House of Representatives is set to convene on Sunday after the Supreme Court on February 23 overturned Oli’s decision to dissolve the House, a legal split in the Nepal Communist Party could define the country’s political course.

Since the Election Commision continues to recognise the Nepal Communist Party as one, the House also knows just the Nepal Communist Party, whose Parliamentary Party leader is KP Sharma Oli, the prime minister.

The Dahal-Nepal faction has been planning to file a no-confidence motion against Oli when the House meeting commences, but it is yet to take a decision.

The Nepali Congress, the main opposition, has so far been on a wait and see mode, saying it will take a decision only after there is a formal split in the Nepal Communist Party.

The Congress party’s role is crucial because of the number of seats it holds in the lower house.

The Dahal-Nepal faction claims to control around 87-90 seats in the House, while the Oli faction is said to have around 83 seats.

If the Dahal-Nepal faction were to file a no-confidence motion against Oli, it will fail unless the Congress supports it. Similarly, if Oli were to seek a vote of confidence, he would also need the Congress party’s backing to remain in power.

Without a formal split in the Nepal Communist Party–or its leaders’ decision to reconcile which is not likely as of now–the House is set to be deadlocked.

Former election commissioners–four chief commissioners and one commissioner–on Wednesday had called on the Election Commission to resolve the Nepal Communist Party legitimacy dispute at the earliest so as to facilitate the political process.

“We urge the commission to take an appropriate decision as per the existing laws and past decisions taken by the commission on similar disputes at the earliest, considering the impact its indecision could have on the country's political process and credibility of the commission,” the former election officials said in a statement.