By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel
“In the times of impending doom, judgment falters,” goes the old saying. This adage aptly suits our former prime minister, KP Oli. During his tenure as the prime minister of the country multiple times, he failed to understand the plight and grievances of an ordinary citizen, compelling them to stage a protest against him, which eventually forced him to kneel. In plain words, he was ousted for the deeds that were his own making.
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli has had a long and tumultuous political career. Born on February 22, 1950, in Tehrathum district, Oli became a professional political worker in 1970 and was a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN). He was imprisoned in 1973 and remained in prison for 14 consecutive years on a murder case.
Oli served as the PM four times from February 2018 to July 2021 and again from July 2024 to September 9, 2025. He was viewed as the democratically elected autocrat, always undermining the constitution and the party’s values and beliefs. His every tenure triggered controversies and criticism.
As a prime minister, Oli has made many blunders and always undermined the constitution promulgated by the august body—the constituent assembly. The best manifestation is his move to dissolve parliament in December 2020. The reason was simple: he was reluctant to hand over the power to Prachanda as per their gentlemen’s agreement and instead dissolved the parliament, breaching their agreement. These are just a few examples of his autocratic tendency. There are several others.
Within his party, no leaders—be they junior or senior—were happy with him. He never embraced the collaborative decision-making process, reflecting true statesmanship. The issue of expelling senior leader Bhim Rawal from the party under Oli’s instruction is a case in point. A highly placed report says that Bhim Rawal was not happy with Oli’s growing oligarchy within the party. He publicly criticized Oli, accusing him of shielding corruption and promoting autocratic practices. When the Rawal started to voice against Oli’s growing high-handedness, Oli, backed by his pawns, expelled him, saying he breached the party’s values and principles.
Party insiders and sympathizers say that Oli never upholds the party’s values and principles. They hold the view that he always manipulated the party’s laws and bylaws to remain in power by decree. Their arguments can be ruled out altogether. For example, it is said that the age limit of 70 years and the two-term cap for leadership were scrapped under the instruction of Oli.
Poor governance, high-voltage scams, and abuse of authority were the major characteristics of his government. Likewise, nepotism, favoritism, and unemployment remained at the core of the government. Every day, thousands of competent young people migrate overseas in search of better opportunities, while the incompetent cadre of his party were getting the plum positions in government and non-government sectors. But Oli was least bothered by the struggles of an ordinary citizen, clearly demonstrating a leader with no empathy.
While ordinary citizens were struggling for day-to-day survival, the nepo kids were enjoying lavish lifestyles, luxurious cars, and overseas vacations funded by corruption. This angered the citizens, mainly Gen Z, compelling them to stage a demonstration against corruption, which forced him to resign. Just a few days before the Gen Z protest across the country, Oli mocked Gen Z, saying they are just kids and cannot do anything. To the contrary, the Gen Z peaceful protest forced him to step down, laying the foundation for lasting transformation in the country.
Just a few months ago, in a televised interview, Oli challenged that no one has the courage to oust him. He openly challenged the leaders of the opposition, saying he is here to stay and rule the country. His behavior is a clear reflection of arrogance and ego. Oli was never serious about taking concrete action against the growing abuse of authority, unemployment, and high-voltage scams. The fake Bhutanese refugee scam, the visit visa scam, and gold smuggling at TIA are some high-voltage scams that were reported during his tenure.
But what is very interesting is the fact that Oli does not seem to regret his decision to order his ministers and concerned officers to kill the student during the recent peaceful Gen Z protest. People will forgive him if he admits his mistakes and his weakness. The arrogant and egoistic nature will only make the situation worse for him.
Now, he has lost the image, if there was any, and people criticize him for his involvement in the recent massacre that killed over 70 people, including innocent college students. People dislike and curse him for the existing pathetic state of the state. They will never forgive Oli for betraying them and breaching their trust. The country lost over a decade to conflict and post-conflict recovery. Yet another decade was lost in the game of musical chairs played by three individuals—KP Oli, Prachanda, and Deuba.
At present, questions are being raised. What will be the future of the political career of KP Oli? Likewise, there are also growing voices asking whether it marks the beginning of the end of Oli’s political career. These are key questions for which we hope to find the answer very soon. However, given the existing criticism within and outside the party, Oli’s acceptance as a party chair looks like a far-fetched dream. Let alone the party chairperson, his career in active politics seems to be ending.
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