KP Sharma Oli Rejects Election Review Report, Sparks Internal Conflict

Kathmandu. The implementation of the report prepared by the 'Election Review and Party Reorganization Task Force' has faced complications due to its rejection by CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli. A 15-member task force, led by party Vice-Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal', was formed at Oli's residence in Gundu on Jestha 4. The task force had collected suggestions from 9 provinces (capital and special contact areas), people's organizations coordination, central bodies and departments, overall diaspora (virtual), and advisory councils from Jestha 30 to Asar 23, and prepared a report. The report stated that the main reason for UML's defeat in the House of Representatives elections held in Falgun was Chairman Oli's working style, decision-making process, and 'lust for power'. Provincial and subordinate committees had clearly suggested that the top leadership should opt for a graceful exit, as cosmetic reforms would no longer suffice to save the party's reputation. Task force member-secretary Shankar Pokharel's prepared report was directly rejected by Chairman Oli. Subsequently, Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa presented a separate report, which was more favorable to Oli. Thapa's report concluded that Chairman Oli did not need to resign from his post. The report stated that it was politically, ideologically, and institutionally completely wrong to try to remove the chairman from his post by blaming him entirely for the party's unexpected defeat in the elections held on Falgun 21. A meeting of the task force to discuss both reports was held at the central office in Chyasal on Friday. The task force includes coordinator Thapa, Bishnu Poudel, Prithvi Subba Gurung, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatta, Secretaries Chabilal Bishwakarma, Padma Aryal, Bhanubhakta Dhakal, and the in-charges of the seven provinces. Oli used coordinator Thapa to prepare a report favorable to him, countering the report prepared by the task force. Oli is the same figure and tendency who, as the then chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) in 2077 BS, rejected the report presented by the other chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and brought a different proposal. In the secretariat meeting held at the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar on Kartik 28, 2077 BS, Prachanda had presented a 19-page report protesting the working style of the then Prime Minister and Chairman Oli. Oli, expressing strong dissatisfaction with that report, presented a 53-page counter-proposal in the secretariat meeting held on Mangsir 13. Oli had dissected Prachanda's report, calling it an 'accusation sheet'. It was later discussed in UML circles that Prachanda's report was the starting point for the dissolution of the CPN. Reflecting that, coordinator Thapa has now presented a 39-page report against Pokharel's 65-page report. In contemporary politics, Oli's tendency is known as arrogant, egoistic, autocratic, prejudiced, and vengeful. The example of how much damage an authoritarian leadership can cause to the party and the country was seen in last year's Janji movement. Oli, who led a government with a two-thirds majority with the support of the largest party in the previous parliament, the Nepali Congress, was chased away by the protesters. During the Janji movement, 76 people lost their lives, and important state properties including the central administrative building Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, and the Parliament building were destroyed. In the elections held in Falgun, UML suffered its biggest setback in history. UML, which received 2.8 million popular votes and became the second-largest party in the 2079 elections, has seen its votes shrink to around 1.4 million in these elections. However, Oli, who has not taken moral responsibility for the failure in government and party management, claims that all these events are a conspiracy by domestic and foreign reactionary forces. It is being discussed in political circles that it is a tragedy of the leftist movement that Oli defines the suggestions given by provincial and local committees on why 1.4 million UML supporters and well-wishers were forced to change their votes as a conspiracy against him.

Oli-Prachanda tendency a major blow to the communist movement