CPN-UML Report Suggests Leadership Accountability for Party Weakness

Kathmandu. The report of the CPN-UML party restructuring and reorganization task force has suggested that the leadership should take responsibility for the party's weakening. The draft report prepared by the task force led by UML Vice-Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa has made such suggestions. According to sources, the report also mentions that immediate Chairman KP Sharma Oli should resign taking moral responsibility for the party's serious defeat in the elections and the current crisis, and if he does not resign, there are grounds to remove him from the chairmanship. The task force, formed to review the overall elections and reorganize the party, has outlined these grounds in the draft report prepared after collecting suggestions. However, the draft is yet to be finalized as a report. General Secretary Shankar Pokharel had prepared the draft report and submitted it to coordinator Thapa. Coordinator Thapa, however, gave the draft to Chairman KP Oli. After the draft included suggestions that the party leadership should take responsibility, Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Vice-Chairman and coordinator Thapa are delaying the finalization of this report. 'The current crisis has arisen due to the government's work and activities, so the main leadership of the party must take moral responsibility,' reads a part of the report. However, the report states that the defeat in the election was not solely due to one person. 'There is also a strong opinion that everyone from the bottom to the top should take responsibility according to their role,' the draft report states, 'There is also an opinion that there should be no debate about leadership during challenging times, and everyone should unite to face the challenges.' The report cites the incident of Madhav Kumar Nepal's resignation after the serious defeat in the election as an example. 'Taking the resignation of our party's then General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal on moral grounds and the international practice of taking responsibility after a serious electoral defeat as a basis, expectations are being placed on the leadership,' the draft report raises questions of morality against Chairman KP Sharma Oli. 'The issues raised regarding leadership should be resolved by keeping the overall interest of the party at the center. In this regard, it is necessary to be careful not to affect the capitalization of the good work done in the past under the leadership of the current party chairman,' the draft report states. Leadership Transfer and Generational Transition Become Contentious The draft mentions that the issue of leadership transfer and generational transition within the UML has become an important agenda. 'In the past, the party has already implemented a reservation system for youth in party work and organization,' the draft states, 'This alone may not address the aspirations of the youth. The party must move forward with a concrete plan for the combination of three generations. For this, it is necessary to express commitment to establish a smooth system for leadership development and transfer within the party.' The draft also includes the issue of leaders' tenure and age limit. 'The provision of age limit and tenure in committees is increasingly gaining ground as a way to attract the new generation. It is necessary to re-establish the related provisions by amending the statute,' the draft states. Under this, it is mentioned that there is an understanding among the cadres that 'one person one post' is necessary for the equitable distribution of opportunities. 'The demand that the same person should not be Prime Minister, Minister, Member of Parliament, or local level chief for more than two consecutive terms, and that the same person should not be given repeated opportunities in proportional quotas, needs to be addressed in some form,' the report states.