PM Oli not in favour of forming politburo

Kathmandu, December 20

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s most trusted Chief Adviser Bishnu Rimal today hinted in the Standing Committee meeting that the PM was against the formation of the politburo. He said more structures within the party meant a more complicated process which the party should avoid.

His clarification comes at a time when rival factions fear that PM Oli might not form the politburo to avoid one more party body that could quiz him for his performance in the party and the government.  But another chairperson of the party Pushpa Kamal Dahal had said on Saturday that the Secretariat of the party had already decided to form the politburo.

The party’s statute states that there should be a 147-member politburo in the party.

“The party should not form a complicated committee,” a standing committee member quoted Rimal as saying. Some Standing Committee members, particularly those belonging to the rival factions, have demanded the formation of politburo as soon as possible.

The joint political document presented by Oli and Co-chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal in the Standing Committee has not mentioned the formation of the politburo.

Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Bamdev Gautam have, on the other hand, demanded the formation of the politburo.

Another Standing Committee member Kiran Gurung told the meeting that leaders have to steer the movement of prosperity rather than study Marxism. Some leaders, including Lilamani Pokharel and Beduram Bhusal sought clarification on the statute for using the  word ‘left’ instead of ‘communist,’ ‘democratic movement’ instead of ‘revolution.’

“We should not confine ourselves to Marxism, we should steer the movement of prosperity,” Gurung told the meeting.

Gurung is close to Oli and he is also Gandaki Province minister. He was a chief ministerial aspirant in Gandaki Province, but Prithivi Subba Gurung won the post. Lilamani Pokharel wondered, “If the party abandoned Marxism, where would the party stand?”

Invitee Standing Committee member Amrit Kumar Bohora said that the top leadership should not be above the party committee. “They should also follow the party’s rules and regulations but that has not happened. Some leaders have received double responsibility while some have not got any responsibility at all,” Bohora told the meeting. He also said the leaders had left their communist ground and were enjoying a luxurious life with expensive cars and buildings. “Criticism and self-criticism should be managed in the communist party. The leadership should not hurt genuine leaders,” Bohora said in the meeting.

Another Standing Committee member Chakrapani Khanal accepted that the party could not take ownership of the government’s performance. “We should accept that people are criticising us, we should manage it through the party channel,” Khanal, who is also a minister of agriculture and livestock said.

Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supply Matrika Yadav told the meeting that party leaders should not accuse him of being involved in corruption in the purchase of sugar. “I am ready to face punishment if I am found guilty, the party leaders should not blame me without any investigation,” he told the meeting.

Standing committee member Lekharaj Bhatta had yesterday raised the corruption issue in sugar purchase in the meeting earlier.