KATHMANDU, JULY 17: Only a year after splitting, communist leaders have proposed unity. On May 17, 2018, the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) merged to form the CPN. Three years after that, on 7 March 2021, after the Supreme Court ordered both the parties to stay separate, the leaders of UML and Maoist, which are separate parties, used the same platform on Saturday to propose party unity or a left alliance in the upcoming elections.
In a program organized by Nepal-China Friendship Society in Kathmandu on Saturday, Maoist leader Narayankaji Shrestha proposed harmony and party unity to UML President KP Sharma Oli in the federal and provincial elections. Maoist leader Shrestha, who spoke before Oli, reiterated that there is still a need for a patriotic movement in Nepal. But Oli returned Shrestha's answer on the matter and expressed his intention that it would be appropriate not to sit in a party that disagrees with him. After Shrestha proposed harmony and party unity to Oli for federal and provincial elections, Oli asked why he stays in a party that does not agree with him.
On Saturday, Shrestha drew attention to the fact that when the left power is divided, all the communists will end up fighting against each other, and as a result, the patriotic movement will weaken and the country will be destroyed.
UML, Maoist Center, Naya Shakti to unify
“If there are any leftist political parties, I urge them not to follow in the footsteps of the Nepali Congress, leave the ruling alliance, not to sign the SPP and come forward for a leftist unity. But you become the tail of the Congress and yet call yourself leftist? Didn’t these leftists knock on the court’s doors to topple a communist government and replace it with one led by the Congress? Didn’t these leftists, after failing to topple the Communist government and form a coalition government led by Deuba through parliament, go to the court requesting it to issue a mandamus?” Oli threw a volley of questions. He also asked to convey his ideas to the party. He said that no party will be left-wing by keeping only signboards and to form an alliance, they should give up being the tail of the Congress. He said that like Kirtinidhi Bista, the power to remove nationalists from the government in Nepal is active.
Shrestha had met Oli a month ago and talked about left unity. On Saturday’s program, Oli proposed coordination and unity for federal and provincial elections. “The leading power of the patriotic movement in Nepal is the Left, if we leave the situation of division, they have two-thirds of the power, so now all the Left should unite and advance the patriotic movement,” Shrestha turned to Oli and said, “In the case of Nepal, if the leftist movement is weak, the country will perish. Therefore, there may be a need to first coordinate between the left forces and the front and then move in the other direction (toward party unity). Let's think about it seriously,” In the same public event, Shrestha criticized himself for not being able to preserve the unity of the then CPN.
In both the UML and Maoist parties, the leading leaders are applauded for whatever they say, indicating that the culture of individual worship is growing and also drawing attention to move forward with a critical mind.
“Let's do a serious introspection of the events, let's self-criticize the mistakes and weaknesses. I criticize myself for not being able to preserve the unity of the party, others should do the same. What happened in the MCC, what did the 19-point charge sheet do, what did the SPP do, let's review all the developments, at least let's move forward in coordination even if we don't create a basis for unity,” said Shrestha.
In the program, former deputy prime minister and president of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Upendra Yadav said that geo-politics made Oli a former prime minister. “Geopolitics has an influence on us and is also the cause of political instability. Former Prime Minister KP Oli is here. I was also a Deputy Prime Minister in his Cabinet. No sooner had I become a former Minister, than Oli, too, became a former prime minister. This also has a geo-political impact," said Yadav.
In the same program, geo-political scholar Dr Dinesh Paudel said that Nepal should take the leadership of the Himalayan region and requested to include the Himalayan region which was started when KP Oli was the Prime Minister. Presenting a working paper in the program, Dr Paudel, who teaches at North Carolina University in the US, said that now Nepal should become the leader of the Himalayan region. “When the then Prime Minister (KP Oli) visited countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, the message was that brotherly relations with the small Himalayan countries should be strengthened. Nepal took the lead in organizing the countries of the Himalayan region, the concept of development of the Himalayan region should be taken forward and Nepal, being the country with the largest population in the Himalayan region, should lead it," said Paudel.
