Kathmandu, 22 July: Nepal Communist Party co-chairman Pushpakamal Dahal’s indecision and flexibility have contributed prolonging the ongoing deadlock in the ruling party.
As Dahal is swinging from one pole to another, the deadlock in the party is continued and it is believed that it will continue until the scheduled unity national convention in the second week of April.
Dahal is swinging:
On Saturday evening, Prime Minister and party chairman KP Sharma Oli and co-chairman Dahal developed an understanding for supporting each other in the party. They developed an understanding for calling the unity national convention in November or December, in which, Oli will not give candidature to the party chairman’s post and support Dahal by making him an elected party chairman. Dahal, on the other hand, would support Oli to run the government for the remaining tenure. Following the understanding, both the leaders went to meet President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Oli informed to the President that Dahal will be the next party chairman with the manifesto of the “People’s Multiparty Proletariat” – an idea floated by UML leader and spouse of the President, late Madan Bhandari.
After returning from the President’s Office, Dahal felt that he was going to adopt the ideology of late Madan Bhandari by ending his own identity. This impression caused Dahal to return from the understanding with Oli.
The next morning, at the meeting of the anti-Oli camp, Dahal declined on the understanding between Oli and him and also informed that the meeting with the President was not related to the said understanding. Dahal had clarified, by mistake, he had reached the President’s office.
Leaders in the Oli’s rival front have not believed Dahal’s clarification. Even party spokesman Narayankaji Shrestha said that Dahal is not a leader who would reach to the President’s office by mistake.
Again talks between Oli and Dahal:
Although Dahal refused the understanding between Oli and him, he is frequently meeting with Oli. On Monday, Oli clearly said to Dahal to make clear his position – either joining the Oli camp or going to the Nepal camp.
Again, Dahal, at a consultation meeting of the standing committee members representing from the former Maoist Center called by him on Monday at his residence Balkot, Dahal, after the members’ advise, said that there is no other alternative except joining hands with Oli to keep the party unified.
As the NCP’s supreme leaders have not been able to develop an understanding, the standing committee meeting is continuously been postponed. At the last hour notice, the scheduled meeting on Sunday and Monday was postponed for Tuesday. On Tuesday, after a brief sitting, the meeting has been postponed for 28 July. If NCP leaders will not find an understanding, the standing committee meeting can be postponed again.
The present position in NCP:
Madhav Nepal is firm on his stand that PM Oli should quit both the posts – PM and party chairman – immediately.
KP Oli, on the other hand, is not in a mood to quit both the posts. He has made clear that until the unity national convention, he will lead the party also. It makes clear that after the unity national convention, Oli is in a mood to quit the party chairman’s post and lead the government.
Dahal is at the position of indecision that on which side he should join. Both Oli and Nepal are trying to bring Dahal to their sides but Dahal is feeling insecure about his position in the party, however, Dahal is losing the trust of both Oli and Nepal camp.
Oli has asked Dahal to adopt the “People’s Multiparty Proletariat” to become the party chairman from the Oli camp, on the other hand, Nepal has not made any commitment to support Dahal to the post of the party chairman. To note, Nepal himself is a strong candidate to the post of the party chairman as Nepal has wished to become the party chairman once before his political retirement.
Pressure for not splitting the party
If Oli will feel unnecessary pressure from his rival camp, he has prepared to split the party. It is said that Americans want a split in the NCP and formation of an Oli faction plus NC alliance government and early endorsement of the MCC.
However, from the party workers’ level, there is strong pressure on the senior leaders for not splitting the party. Therefore, a silent understanding has been developed among the leaders for not splitting the party.
Now, the danger of split has been ended, however, the leaders have not been able to develop a common ground for an understanding.
Now, NCP senior leaders have started to say that the dispute in the party may continue until the unity national convention of the party in April next year.
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