Intra-Party Row in UML

Nepal-led faction expedites final preprations to form new party as Chairman Oli rejects their demands

Published On: June 4, 2021 06:01 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


KATHMANDU, June 3: While concluding that party chairman K P Oli was not ready to meet their demands, the CPN-UML faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal has expedited final preparations to form a new political party. 

The UML Central Committee members close to the Nepal-led faction had discussed in detail about starting a 'new campaign' to take forward the communist movement during a virtual meeting held on Thursday. The faction expects to unite all other fringe communist parties to form a new party that would take forward the communist movement in a new way in Nepal. 

Senior leader, who was in a wait and see mood, is now under pressure to form new party at the earliest date as most leaders close to his faction have suggested that there is no point in wasting time in the name of talks with Oli as he had shown no sign to revive the party committees that existed before the unification between the UML and the Maoist Center back on May 16, 2018. They also concluded that Oli was making nexus with the regressive elements to finish the communist movement in Nepal and that the dissolution of parliament was a testimony to that fact. 

"Prime Minister Oli has moved toward regression one after another. The meeting has concluded that party unity is possible only if Oli stands ready to self-criticise his move to dissolve parliament and revive the party committees that existed prior to the unification between the UML and the the Maoist Center," said Yuvaraj Gyawali, a leader close to Nepal.

The UML-led by Oli and CPN (Maoist Center)led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal had decided to form a new party named the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on May 16, 2018. The unification, however, was invalidated by a verdict of the Supreme Court on March 7, 2021. 

A joint bench of justices Kumar Regmi and Bam Kumar Shrestha ruled that the Nepal Comunist Party belonged to Rishi Kattel who had filed a writ petition claiming the name of the party. Kattel had registered the NCP before the UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) were merged into the new NCP. The new NCP was led by KP Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal which reached the helm of the government after the 2017 parliamentary elections.

Although the apex court's verdict took the UML and the Maoist Center back to their original status before May 16, 2018, Chairman Oli chose to ignore the verdict and reformed the party committees to make sure that he has majority in all those committees. Leaders belonging to the Nepal-led faction were stripped off their party responsibilities, sowing seeds of party split. 

Most leaders participating in the virtual meeting on Thursday argued that there is no alternative to start the 'communist movement' again if Oli does not give any heed to their demands. They alleged that Oli had repeatedly attacked the country's constitution and democracy and take the country to the opposite direction. Separately, chiefs of 17 sister organizations close to the Nepal-led faction on Thursday warned that they would form new political party if Oli does not revoke his controversial decisions.

Addressing the virtual meeting on Thursday, senior leader Nepal had said that although they are still in favor of the party unity their desire to save the party unity is  failing due to Oli's adamant stance to sideline his rivals. "We are in favor of the party unity. But we cannot indefinitely wait in the name of talks," senior leader Nepal had shared his conclusion. He also directed the party leaders expedite their internal preparations to form a new party anytime soon. 

 


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