KATHMANDU, July 22: Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that he is ready to make senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal the second chairman as he faces mounting pressure to maintain unity within the party. Addressing the party's central committee meeting, he said that he was ready to give the position of second chairman to Nepal.

Oli said that he was ready to be as flexible as possible for the unity of the party. "If Madhav Nepal agrees, he will be given a second chairmanship. I have said that if Madhav Nepal comes to save the party unity, I am ready to give the position to him,” a central committee member, who participated in the meeting, quoted Oli as saying. Most of the speakers at Oli's party's three-day central committee meeting said the party should not be allowed to split. After that, Oli said that he would take initiative for the unity.

At the same time, leaders close to Nepal have also mounted pressure on him to maintain party unity. Nepal held a discussion with a leader close to him on Wednesday. Party Vice Chairman Yuvraj Gyawali, Deputy General Secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal, Standing Committee members Mukunda Neupane and Raghuji Pant expressed their views.

All except Neupane said that party unity should be maintained, pressure should be exerted to implement the 10-point proposal prepared by the Task Force, insults and immoral activities against leaders should be stopped and the implementation of the 10-point agreement should not be obstructed in the name of clarification. Neupane also said that he was in favor of a dignified unity.

Meanwhile, leader of the Nepal-faction Gokarna Bista said that discussions were held on the issue of not doing anything that would affect the party unity. He pointed out that such activities were taking place from the other side, adding that it would strengthen the anti-unity elements.

 
• Oli-Nepal
 
• CPN-UML