Will Oli continue to move forward in the same old 'Oli' style or will he bring about change?
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After the results of the office bearers' vote at the UML general convention held in Kathmandu were made public, slogans were chanted outside, 'Not today but tomorrow, 20 years for Oli.' It is not entirely inappropriate for such slogans to be raised in the wave of joy after KP Sharma Oli was approved for a third term as chairman with more than 74 percent of the votes. Rather, the question is, what will Oli's third term be like? Will Oli continue in the old 'Oli' style or will he bring about changes in himself?
Earlier, it was not a new thing for him to repeatedly express his bitterness after suddenly moving from power to the army barracks. But even after being approved by the general convention, how far will he continue to carry this same bitterness? The future of UML and the future scenario of Nepali society are hidden in the answer to this question.
This general convention was very important for UML because UML had entered the general convention after shaking off the dust. And the entire UML leadership was at the peak of the question. UML has got a new leadership through the votes of representatives elected from all over the country. Why not have the old faces dominate it!
How the UML will take its political steps in the days after the approval and what results will come from it are a matter of concern not only for the UML circle but also for the entire Nepali society, so this general convention was a matter of interest for many.
While the Congress is still struggling to clear the air of internal strife and the Nepali Communist Party is moving forward with the mindset of what to do and how to do it by incorporating small parties into itself, the UML has reached a crossroads on the path of greater clarity. In any case, after the Gen-G rebellion, the UML got a chance to refresh itself through the general convention.
While the Congress is still struggling to clear the smoke of internal strife and the Nepali Communist Party is moving forward with the mindset of what to do and how to do it by incorporating small parties into itself, the UML has reached a crossroads on the path of further clarity. This general convention has also become the most important and close encounter for the UML to forget the trauma of the entire party line becoming defensive after being suddenly overthrown. But the UML cannot breathe for the party just by going through this complicated time. Because, after Bhadra 23, a lot of water of change has flowed in the river of time. And many doubts and questions have been raised in the minds of the people towards the parties and this system. Can the UML address all those questions only with the rejuvenation received from the general convention? We will have to wait for that.
Due to the extensive structure of the UML extending to the ward level and the hold that the UML maintains in every corner of the state machinery, every step taken by the UML closely affects this society. But this same UML is now facing the most acute question. What UML people need to understand is that the general convention only brought new representatives with new mandates to the organizational structure of UML, and the questions that time will ask are the same old ones. Neither UML nor Nepali society can escape the time that has dragged on by simply answering them in the old style.
UML has to prove itself with the passage of time, and it will also have to answer all the honors and dishonors created by its past actions. In particular, the new leadership of UML cannot escape the question of how much role UML played in preparing the ground for the Gen-G rebellion and who was at its center, nor can it escape it by giving a blunt or round answer in the Oli style.
UML cannot and will not escape all the turmoil of this time just by saying, 'The Gen-G rebellion was a scenario prepared by the deep state and staged according to a script.' The vote given by the UML representatives is not only to make the party dynamic, but also to set the path of the progressive times by following the footsteps of the times. On this path, the UML must prove itself not by giving lip service like yesterday, but by working. How serious will Oli be in it? The answer to this question is sure to determine the future of the UML.
The current digital generation is very well aware of the form in which the vast organization of the UML has been sitting on the shoulders of the avowed Oli for two terms, the various twists and turns through which the party has moved forward, and what he has done in the party's internal life and journey to power. In the digital noise, it is easy to spread confusion or give an immediate answer to every accusation, but the UML cannot confirm its relevance on that basis.
Especially if the Oli style has fostered and institutionalized the situation within the party - if there is no review again, the UML will have neither time to defend itself nor review in the days to come. In the meantime, not only the UML will lose anything, the entire Nepali society will pay the price for it. Just as the Nepali society lost on Bhadra 23 and 24. Just as the Nepali society was forced to go through a difficult time after those two days.
It is not clear how the UML, which is moving forward after completely quelling the Gen-G rebellion, will handle the upheaval that has emerged in Nepali society from those two days. UML has risen to rise by shaking off the dust, but rising and moving the entire society forward by recognizing the pace of time is a different matter. And politics is how to move the entire society forward without ignoring different opinions and other ideas.
While the wind of populism is blowing in society about what sells and what doesn't, the UML feels that the general convention has given Oli the last chance to prove that he will move forward with restraint and self-review. But whether to take it as an opportunity or plan revenge, understand it as a force to chart a new path or remain entangled in the calculations of the past? That too is up to Oli.
No matter how the UML leadership defines the Gen-G rebellion in the language and spirit in which it is expressed, the event has become a watershed in Nepali politics. At a time when society is divided into many ideas and thoughts and directionlessness is a direction, the role that the new leadership of the largest and most powerful party has to play has become even wider. And the UML leadership, which is moving forward with both the restoration of the House of Representatives and the elections, will no longer be confused by any internal party issues.
Oli, who became the chairman with fresh votes, has the ease to easily answer questions from those who sit within the party. But how does Nepali society benefit from this ease enjoyed by the UML leadership? Those who do peaceful politics within parties never get the benefits of a divided and turbulent society. Instead, opportunists cover up its benefits and prolong it by making the comment that a turbulent society is the state of society.
The slogan raised by cadres and well-wishers, 'Not today but tomorrow, 20 years for Oli', is not just a simple meaning. Even if Oli's tenure can be counted in years, it is certain to last a long time in terms of impact. When he was in the Oli faction, Krishnagopal Shrestha used to say, 'Oli is the Pele of football.' Krishnagopal, who said this, was defeated in the general convention of his faction. However, the specific answer as to whether Oli is the Pele of football or Messi will definitely be determined by the role he plays in the difficult days to come.
