By Our Reporter
The ongoing dispute in the CPN-UML has deepened further with the exchange of harsh words by the rival leadership.
Although the second-generation leaders are still working to hammer out the differences between party chairman KP Sharma Oli and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, both leaders and their loyal continue to exchange harsh words against each other.
While Oli and leaders close to him have been calling Nepal a ‘traitor’, the Nepal faction called the Oli camp leaders ‘agents of regression’.
Although Oli seems to have softened his words in his recent comments, he had already caused damage to the party by calling Nepal openly a ‘traitor’ and the latter would have no space in the party. Oli who threatened to oust the leaders and lawmakers, who voted in favour of Prime Minister Deuba during the voting in the House on July 3, by seeking 24-hour clarifications, all of a sudden announced ‘amnesty granted’ to them. But Nepal objected to the words used by Oli.
The latest enmity between the two factions spread over at the meeting of the parliamentary committee of international relations and labour on Sunday when Narad Muni Rana of the Oli camp asked leader Nepal where the latter had been during the voting in the House. The meeting called to review the progress of a year got spoiled by the dispute after Rana unlawfully enter the meeting hall because after assuming the post of Foreign Minister Rana had lost the membership of the committee.
Although Oli wanted to oust Nepal from the party, other leaders are not ready to go to that extreme because they could not imagine a UML without Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal who have led the party since its inception. But Nepal also seems to be dedicated to stripping wings of Oli remaining within the party. With the downfall of Oli from the government, Nepal is gradually gaining strength both on the parliamentary and other fronts. More lawmakers have become loyal to Nepal.
However, the greatest fear Oli has is that if the party unity is not maintained, the President could be impeached at any time. Therefore, Oli seems to be ready to make any compromise to avert the impeachment against the President. If Nepal manages to steal seven more lawmakers from the UML, the president could be impeached. And the softness he is showing towards Nepal is to safeguard the position of the President.
However, it is least likely Nepal would agree to the proposal of Oli, until the latter becomes ready to step down from party leadership. Hence, a split in the UML looks inevitable in the near future.
JSP dispute over, Mahntha Thakur in difficult position
With the Election Commission giving legitimacy to the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP) chaired by Upendra Yadav, the dispute between the two factions of the party has ended legally.
However, the decision is likely to be costly for Mahantha Thakur and lawmakers close to him.
The JSP-N was divided after the Supreme Court reinstated the House on February 23 after Mahantha and Rajendra Mahato backed every move of KP Sharma Oli. Oli also appointed 11 leaders loyal to Thakur in the Cabinet but a Supreme Court order thwarted that.
On Monday, 34 of the 51 central executive members signed in favour of Upendra Yadav and 16 have signed in favour of Mahanta Thakur. Resham Chaudhary remained neutral.
With the fall of Oli-led government, many of the leaders close to Thakur shifted to the Upendra Yadav camp. Now Thakur and Mahato are likely to lose their membership of the parliament if the Yadav faction takes action against them.
Earlier on Sunday, The Supreme Court had refused to issue interim order on the writ petition filed by Mahanta Thakur-led faction of Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N).
A single bench of Justice Kumar Regmi rejected JSP-N Chairman Thakur’s demand and called both the parties to the court on July 30.
The top court has also asked the respondents to furnish their written response revealing all the details as to the case within 15 days.
Prior to the EC’s final verdict, the Thakur faction filed a writ petition in the SC against the Commission’s decision on July 22 to resolve the party dispute by counting the number of members supporting either of the JSP-N faction.
The EC on July 22 had ordered JSN-N factions to be present at the Commission on Monday, July 26 along with the original copy of their identity card or voter ID card.
Following the Commission’s decision, the Thakur-led faction had filed a writ petition in the Apex Court against the EC to nullify the decision.
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