KATHMANDU, MARCH 20

The establishment faction of the CPN-UML led by party Chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today sought explanation from senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and three others - Surendra Prasad Pandey, Bhim Bahadur Rawal and Ghanashyam Bhusal - for carrying out factional activities within the party.

UML Spokesperson Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told mediapersons after the party's Central Committee meeting here today that while the party might tolerate the rival faction's activities before March 7, when the merger between the UML and CPN- MC was nullified by the Supreme Court, it could no longer do so post-March 7.

Asked what further disciplinary action could be taken against the four leaders of the rival faction, Gyawali said it would depend on how they defended themselves in their letters.

Gyawali said that the party's apex body decided to welcome other leaders from the rival faction if they introspected and reformed themselves. 'The party cannot tolerate factional activities or parallel activities,' he added.

Gyawali said the Central Committee was of the view that some party leaders acted from within the party to destroy the party and sully its image, thereby weakening the communist movement.

The apex body of the party endorsed the amendment made to the parliamentary party statute. The apex body decided to hold the party's 10th General Convention from November 18 to 22. The meeting also decided to convert the current 264-member Central Committee into a General Convention Committee.

As per the Central Committee's decisions, provincial chapters of the party would convert district chapters into district organisation committees and intensify party activities in all levels.

Gyawali said his party would drive the country's politics and it would not forge agreement sans principle with any other party to remain in power.

Earlier today, PM Oli had held the parliamentary party meeting.

Rival faction of the party led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal boycotted both the meetings.

The Nepal-Khanal faction has been saying that the PM must revive the party committees that existed before the UML's merger with the CPN-MC, and he should also rescind the March 12 decisions when he amended the party statute and inducted 23 Maoist leaders to the party's Central Committee.

The PM told the PP meeting that was boycotted by the Nepal-Khanal faction that while he would allow individual lawmakers to raise their concerns, he would not allow any factional activities within the party.

The establishment faction had formed a 24-member Parliamentary Board under PM Oli recently.

The Parliamentary Board takes disciplinary action against any leader defying party rules and norms.

A three-member taskforce formed under Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai submitted the draft of the revised parliamentary party statute allowing the PP leader to nominate the deputy PP leader.

This revision was later endorsed by the Central Committee.

Lawmaker Sher Bahadur Tamang said they decided to amend the parliamentary party statute to give the PP leader the power to nominate his deputy.

The three member taskforce also proposed to make the parliamentary board a 29-member body. Chief Whip Bishal Bhattarai said some amendments had been proposed to the PP statute to make it compatible with the provisions of the Political Party Act.

He said Deputy Chairperson of the party Bamdev Gautam, who had not participated in any faction's meeting till now, attended the PP meeting today and spoke in favour of party unity.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 21, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.