KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 19

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also a co-chairperson of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, has warned the rival faction of the party led by Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal that he would not tolerate false allegations made against him.

Speaking at the NCP Secretariat meet yesterday, the PM told Secretariat leaders that he would step down as party co-chair and prime minister if Dahal’s allegations against him were proven to be right or else Dahal would have to quit party leadership.

According to a copy of the PM’s speech made available to THT by the PM’s Press Adviser Surya Thapa, the PM said he would not tolerate false allegations and he would counter them in the next Secretariat meeting.

Oli claimed that even the letter written by majority members of the party Secretariat seeking a meeting of the party body contained baseless allegations against him, prompting him to pen a 10- page rejoinder. The PM said Dahal’s 19-page document was not an official proposal as it was brought without informing him.

The PM added that Dahal’s document didn’t make any explicit demand for his removal from the post of party co-chair or prime minister. He, however, took offence to Dahal’s demand that Oli make a sacrifice. He said the next Secretariat meeting must discuss allegations levelled against him and if proven right he would have to quit, but if not, then Dahal, who made the allegations, must quit.

Oli added, “These allegations are aimed at sabotaging my political career and I outrightly reject them.”

Terming Dahal’s ‘proposal’ a document of indictments, the PM said it marked the end of understandings and consensus reached between him and Dahal.

“Since the old consensus does not hold, we need to reach a new consensus. I want to unitedly move ahead so that the party can be saved and unity can be maintained,” the PM added. He said the party could be saved only if the cochairs reconciled their differences.

The PM was also miffed at Madhav Kumar Nepal. He said when he told Nepal that Dahal’s proposal had made matters worse in the party, Nepal thought that Oli was issuing threats. He claimed that he was not issuing threats, but was concerned about the party.