KP Oli and Prachanda State Party Unification Impossible

Kathmandu. Amidst discussions of party unification between the CPN-UML led by KP Oli and the CPN led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, both leaders have expressed that immediate party unification is impossible.

On June 14, on the occasion of the 75th birth anniversary of the then CPN-UML General Secretary, People’s Leader Madan Bhandari, Oli, Prachanda, Madhav Nepal, and Jhalanath Khanal shared the same stage in Kathmandu, which many interpreted as a warm-up for unification between the two parties.

It was speculated by the opposition and leaders and cadres of both parties that perhaps both parties, having faced embarrassing results in the last election, were planning to unify with the upcoming local elections in mind. During this period, news of some leaders from both CPN-UML and CPN engaging in dialogue and discussions for party unification has been surfacing.

प्रचण्डको ब्रिफिङ : तत्कालका लागि वाम एकतामा पूर्णविराम, बालेन सरकारको आयु धेरै छैन

 On the occasion of Madan Jayanti, CPN leaders Prachanda, Nepal, and Khanal had expressed hope of reaching unification through collaboration. However, contrary to earlier assessments, Oli and Prachanda have made it clear to the party ranks that immediate unification will not happen.

On Monday, during a virtual meeting of the CPN Central Committee, CPN Coordinator Prachanda stated that party unification is not possible before the general convention.

‘I have not said anywhere that unification should happen now. Unification is also not possible before the general convention’, Chairman Prachanda said during the briefing at the meeting, ‘It won’t happen even now.’

Stressing the need to first strengthen their own party, Prachanda emphasized the need to renew and distribute memberships and launch a campaign up to the ward level to further consolidate the party. ‘Therefore, the current need is for collaboration with the leftist, socialist front, and patriots’, Saral Sahayatri Poudel quoted Prachanda as saying to RatoPati, ‘I have been in dialogue with UML, leftist, and other parties for collaboration on this matter. Not for unification.’

पार्टी एकता हुँदैन, अपहरित लोकतन्त्र फर्काउन संयुक्त सङ्घर्ष जरुरी : केपी ओली

The day after Coordinator Prachanda briefed the party, i.e., on Tuesday, CPN-UML Chairman Oli also made a statement similar to Prachanda’s.

Addressing a program on party reorganization and election review for the Kathmandu Province at the CPN-UML party office in Chasal on Tuesday, Chairman Oli emphasized the need for joint struggle to restore the hijacked democracy rather than party unification.

‘We must go into joint struggle by uniting all democrats, leftists, and patriots against the chaos created in the country’, said Chairman Oli. He urged leaders and cadres not to be misled about the possibility of party unification.

‘We will not engage in group or institutional unification, but we will accommodate individuals and groups joining the party with generosity’, Oli clarified.

In fact, leaders and cadres of both parties had been criticizing the hasty unification, stating that party unification without objective review would not be sustainable. They have been saying that the failure of the unification in 2075 BS was due to the weakness of the leadership and that such unification is not necessary. Another group of leaders and cadres has expressed the opinion that it would be appropriate for former President Bidya Bhandari to lead the party with Oli and Prachanda acting as guardians.