Rawal relieved of all responsibilities, Pandey and Timilsina suspended for six months
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 25
CPN-UML, the second-largest party in parliament, has taken action against three of its members.
The secretariat meeting on Wednesday suspended standing committee member Binda Pandey and central member Usha Kiran Timilsina from the party for six months, while a leader announced that former vice chair Bhim Rawal would be removed from his position, losing even his status as an ordinary member.
Pandey and Timilsina had disagreed with the CPN-UML over accepting a donation of land from businessman Min Bahadur Gurung to build a party office. For this reason, the party had asked them for an explanation. Actions were taken against them after their answers were deemed 'unsatisfactory'.
Meanwhile, Rawal had previously protested the decision to take over the central office building from businessman Gurung. UML had requested an explanation from Rawal, standing committee member Dr. Binda Pandey, and central member Usha Kiran Timilsina.
Even though Pandey and Timilsina provided an explanation, Rawal did not respond. However, at Wednesday's secretariat meeting, the UML decided to relieve Pandey and Timalsina, who wrote the explanation letter, of their duties for six months and Rawal permanently.
According to Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, the decision has been made to remove former Vice President Rawal from the organised membership because he has consistently made statements that would undermine the party.
"Rawal ran for president in the general convention after declining the vice- presidential nomination. After not becoming a central member, he continued to serve as an advisor under our legal system," Gyawali said.
"He also failed to fulfil his responsibilities as an advisor. And, because the statements were made with the intent of continually weakening rather than strengthening the party, it has been decided to strip him off from organised membership," he added.
After the UML stripped him of his membership, Rawal told the mediapersons: "this action against me is the result of Oli's autocratic, arbitrary, dictatorial mindset. Oli had long opposed the Communist Party's decisions, values, and beliefs."
Rawal claimed that Oli had betrayed the communist and multi-party democratic ideologies.
