KATHMANDU, MARCH 13

A day after the establishment faction of the CPN-UML led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli divested the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction leaders of their political responsibilities, the Nepal faction also decided to revive the same party committees that were in existence before the CPN-UML's merger with the CPN-MC, effectively creating parallel committees.

The Nepal faction's latest move is indicative of the faction not bowing down to the establishment side, which is hell-bent on taking revenge against the Nepal faction for joining hands with CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal in seeking the prime minister's resignation for dissolving the House of Representatives.

The Nepal faction also rejected the establishment faction's decision to amend the party statute, induct 23 members in the Central Committee and appoint new chiefs of provincial chapters, saying the special meeting of the Central Committee that took these decisions yesterday was illegal.

The Nepal faction also named chiefs of UML's provincial chapters to counter the establishment faction's decision to name new provincial chapter chiefs.

Bhim Acharya was named incharge of Province 1, Ghanashyam Bhusal in-charge of Province 2, Astalaxami Shakya in-charge of Bagmati, Surendra Prasad Pandey was named in-charge of Gandaki, and Yubaraj Gyawali was named chief of Lumbini and Karnali provinces. Bhim Rawal was named in-charge of Sudurpaschim.

Nepal faction leader Raghuji Panta told THT that these provincial chiefs were the chiefs of their respective provincial chapters before the merger of the CPN-UML and CPN-MC and his faction did not have to take new decisions to revive them. 'When we termed the Oli faction's decision removing the chiefs of provincial chapters illegal, it meant the former chiefs were automatically revived,' Panta added.

Nepal faction leader Bhim Bahadur Rawal told mediapersons here today that the establishment faction's decision to amend the party's statute was illegal as it was done without forming a statute amendment council.

Rawal said that PM Oli had inducted CPN-MC leaders in the party's Central Committee without legal power to do so. 'As per our party statute, certain number of people can be nominated to the CC, but that process has already been completed.

What Oli has done is illegal,' Rawal said.

The Nepal faction also decided to hold national level cadres meet on March 17 and 18.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli today warned the Nepal faction of punitive action if they did not attend the party's Central Committee meeting that he had called for March 20. 'I am announcing the next Central Committee meeting from this public programme. Those who do not attend party committee meetings cannot make any excuse saying they did not get information about the meeting,' PM Oli added.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 14, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.