Growing Calls Within CPN-UML for Leadership Change Amidst Internal Dissatisfaction

Kathmandu. Within the CPN-UML, voices calling for an alternative to Chairman KP Sharma Oli are growing. Even some office-bearers elected from the Oli faction during the 11th National General Convention held in the last week of Mangsir have begun to state that if an alternative to Oli is not found, the CPN-UML and the communist movement cannot move forward. From Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel to General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, who won as part of the Oli panel, are now compelled to think about an alternative to Oli.

However, Shankar Pokharel has not yet spoken publicly about an alternative to Oli. Another Vice-Chairman, Prithvi Subba (PS) Gurung, while not fully satisfied with Chairman Oli, is signaling an alternative by remaining 'silent' against him in public.

Similarly, secretaries Hikmat Karki, Sherdhan Rai, and other leaders have reached the conclusion that the party cannot move forward without reorganization.

Leaders, in informal conversations, say that there is discussion among leaders from the district, provincial, and central levels that the CPN-UML, which has not yet formally reviewed the election held on Falgun 21 after the Gen-Z rebellion, should now conduct a serious review of the election and work towards party reorganization by bidding farewell to Chairman Oli.

'It has been a month and a half since the election, and there has been no objective review of the election in the UML,' says an office-bearer, 'Apart from the General Secretary giving verbal instructions to district and provincial chairmen to send review reports within the month of Chaitra, there has been no institutional discussion.'

It is said that voices have also started rising in the UML that the election review should be done at the center first and only then in the districts and provinces.

'If they are told to send reports to lower committees all at once, what kind of reports will they send?' says a district chairman, 'A report will be made, but it will not be an objective report.'

According to that leader, although there is no question of taking moral responsibility as the head of the government during the Gen-Z movement, it is understood that there is some weakness in the leadership regarding the election results. But the leadership is not ready to self-criticize.

'There is only an attempt to evade by calling it a foreign conspiracy. It is clear that not only the public but also the cadres did not vote because there was no moral responsibility and self-criticism,' says a CPN-UML district chairman from Gandaki, 'In such a situation, saying that I will run the UML party with this same leadership is nothing but foolishness.'

Backing for Thapa

Many CPN-UML leaders and cadres criticized the statement made by CPN-UML Vice-Chairman and Acting Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa 'Badal' regarding the election results during the first meeting of the parliament on Chaitra 19.

Among those criticizing him, Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel, who was known to be close to Oli in the past, stood at the forefront. Immediately, Paudel called for a secretariat meeting. The secretariat meeting held on Chaitra 20 had a long discussion about Badal's statement and clarified that the statement was not the institutional position of the CPN-UML. But a few days later, Vice-Chairman Thapa 'Badal' reached Pokhara and reiterated that the statement he gave in parliament was the party's decision and party line. Instead, Badal questioned leaders like Paudel who raised questions, saying that his statement identified the right-wingers in the party. CPN-UML leaders and cadres have interpreted Thapa's repetition of that statement as a sign of Chairman Oli's own desire and signal.

'Thapa would not dare to speak that much without Oli's signal,' says an office-bearer, 'It is understood that after the secretariat meeting on the 20th tried to correct Thapa's statement, Oli suggested Thapa speak again.'

Shankar is somewhat flexible

In conversations with leaders, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel also seems almost in agreement that the current party leadership needs to be reorganized. Youth, students, and intellectuals have already started a signature campaign for leadership reorganization and a special general convention. After the youth and students started collecting signatures demanding a special general convention, leaders including Pokharel called them to the party office and listened to them. During that time, Pokharel replied that although the demands raised were not unjustified, the time was inappropriate. As such pressure increased within the party, General Secretary Pokharel went to the hospital to meet Chairman Oli while he was at the Teaching Hospital. A leader from Dang said that in that meeting, Pokharel suggested that he should resign from the post of chairman by consensus, citing the increasing pressure.

'Recently, the General Secretary is also flexible on the issue of party reorganization and has already met the chairman and told him. But there has not been much discussion about its model,' that leader told Ratopati, 'General Secretary Pokharel and Vice-Chairman Paudel are acting according to their own objectives.'

Bishnu cannot be trusted

Some have said that although Vice-Chairman Bishnu Paudel appears to be standing with the non-establishment faction, he cannot be trusted. 'Even during the 11th General Convention, there were many rounds of talks with him, but he did not stand firm. Even now, he has tightened his stance, but he cannot be trusted. There is no knowing when he will end up where,' says an office-bearer, 'The further clear outline might be known through the secretariat meeting to be held after the chairman is discharged from the hospital.'

In fact, leaders who competed by forming a group against Oli in the 11th General Convention of the CPN-UML have said that efforts are being made from their respective places to increase pressure for party reorganization from the districts. However, they said that they had to minimize that initiative because it would be misinterpreted as trying to remove the leadership while he was in the hospital.

Meanwhile, while preparing the election report, district committees including Kathmandu have prepared a report concluding that the party cannot be run by the current leadership. They have also suggested that the two-term and 70-year age limit should be implemented, the size of party committees from the ward level should be reduced, and the membership of former President Bidya Bhandari should be opened.

'Our conclusion is that the party needs to be reformed overall,' says CPN-UML Kathmandu District Committee Chairman Deepak Niraula, 'Responsibility must be taken from the top.' Another leader informed that the report prepared by the district committee also includes suggestions that the expressions made by some responsible leaders should be stopped by identifying the individuals.