Says it's a crime to attempt to pull down the party
KATHMANDU, MAY 9
A day before Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli seeks a vote of confidence, he issued a press statement as chairperson of CPN- UML saying en masse resignation and other factional activities were a crime and party leaders and cadres should not indulge in such activities.
The PM issued the statement after media outlets reported that the rival faction of the UML led by senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal were preparing to resign from the House of Representatives ahead of the PM's floor test.
The PM had called a special session of the HoR tomorrow to seek vote of confidence.
Without naming Nepal or Khanal, the PM said attempts were being made to disintegrate the party.
In some places, attempts are being made by leaders to defeat their own party and benefit opposition parties. In some places, party lawmakers have crossed the floor and no trust motions have been filed against their own government. Now they are trying to promote en masse resignation of party lawmakers, Oli said in his statement. He said the rival faction had the tendency to ensure that their own party's government failed at all the levels of government to enable opposition parties to win against the UML. Terming the factional activities a crime, the PM urged all party leaders and cadres not to indulge in anti-party activities.
"We have built this party, and I am confident that honest leaders and cadres will not indulge in any activity that could harm the party," the PM added.
Oli urged the party leaders not to believe the rumour that he would protect favourites and sideline others in the party.
The PM said that the party's new generation had the responsibility of strengthening party unity. Earlier today, the PM had sent his confidants Subas Chandra Nembang and Bishnu Prasad Paudel to Madhav Kumar Nepal to hold talks with him, but the differences continued to persist.
The Nepal-Khanal faction has demanded that recent changes made in the party structures by Oli be reversed and the party's committees and structures that existed before the UML's merger with the CPN-Maoist Centre be revived.
After meeting Nepal, Nembang told mediapersons that both sides had agreed to move ahead by strengthening party unity.
In recent weeks, the Nepal-Khanal faction has formed parallel party committees and even threatened to resign en masse from the House of Representatives.
Nembang said he and Paudel held talks with Nepal after the PM held telephonic conversation with Nepal and both sides would sit for dialogue again this evening or tomorrow morning.
The PM is scheduled to seek vote of confidence tomorrow at the special session of the House.
Meanwhile, UML Chief Whip in the HoR Bishal Bhattarai issued whip to party lawmakers telling them to be present in the HoR meeting and vote in favour of the PM.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 10, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
