CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Bishnu Poudel and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel went to Gundu in Bhaktapur last week and urged Chairman KP Sharma Oli to hand over the leadership in a respectful manner.

Oli was shocked when two trusted leaders from the past urged him to hand over the leadership. Poudel and Pokharel jointly urged Oli to leave the post of chairman and become a 'guardian', saying that UML had reached the weakest point in history after the 21 Falgun elections, but he flatly refused.

Oli became chairman for the third time last December by removing the 70-year age limit for a third term and the provision of the statute that allows two terms in an executive position. Oli came under pressure after two trusted leaders opened their mouths to leave the post of chairman. Immediately, Oli revoked the membership of former President Bidya Bhandari. UML leaders say that by revoking Bhandari's membership, Oli adopted a strategy to win over leaders who supported him.

The leaders have suggested that the then Prime Minister Oli's 'stubbornness' in the Gen-G movement caused a huge loss of life and the UML should hand over the leadership, taking responsibility for the losses suffered in the elections that were based on it. But Oli has argued in the meeting of office bearers that he is not responsible for the election results. 'What is my fault for this result in the election? The party had put me forward as the future Prime Minister. But the candidates ignored it,' Oli had said in the meeting.

There are signs that the internal conflict will escalate after Oli demanded that he leave the party leadership. General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, who has been strongly supporting Oli for more than three decades, has also come out in favor of restructuring the party leadership.

General Secretary Pokharel has put forward the idea of ​​transferring the leadership in a 'respectful' manner and taking the UML to a new structure. He has argued that the election results after the Gen-G movement have led to a restructuring of the party in terms of leadership. Immediately after the election, he has told close leaders that it would be appropriate for Oli to step down from the leadership.

Four out of five vice-chairmen, general secretary, two out of three deputy general secretaries and five out of nine secretaries have demanded that Oli hand over the leadership. Vice-chairmen Bishnu Poudel, Gokarna Bista, Prithvisubba Gurung and Raghu Pant, general secretary Pokharel, deputy general secretaries Raghubir Mahaseth, Yogash Bhattarai and secretaries Khagraj Adhikari, Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Padmakumari Aryal, Sherdhan Rai and Hikmat Kumar Karki have spoken out in favor of leadership reorganization.

Vice-chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa and secretaries Yamalal Kandel and Mahesh Basnet have stood in favor of Oli, saying that ‘the leadership should be strengthened in times of crisis’. Secretaries Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Rajan Bhattarai said that a new policy should be taken to build the party, said a leader who appeared neutral. Out of 19 UML office bearers, 12 have voted for Oli to pave the way. Of these, two are neutral and three are of the opinion that it would be wrong to look for an alternative to Oli. Oli is under ‘moral pressure’ after being in a minority among the office bearers.

The leaders looking for an alternative to Oli are seen in a ‘war or pass’ mood. ‘If Oli is not ready to leave the leadership easily, the internal conflict will go into a ‘war or pass’ situation,’ said an office bearer.

Oli, who was elected as the chairman for the third term at the 11th general convention last December, has been pressured by the secretariat to leave the leadership for the first time. But Oli has protested, saying that the central committee can decide on leaving the leadership. ‘By what method are you asking me to leave? What is the reason for me to leave the leadership?’ Oli has questioned the central secretariat.

Oli said that he cannot remove himself as he can only hand over the leadership through a special general convention as per the party statute. ‘You cannot remove me’, quoting Oli, said, ‘Local elections will come in six months when the special general convention is held. In that case, let’s hold a special general convention without participating in the local elections.’

Despite the demand for leadership transfer in the secretariat, he has not indicated that he will back down from his stance. ‘Currently, the office bearers have suggested handing over the leadership respectfully. KP Oli is not ready for that,’ said a secretariat member, ‘Now the internal conflict within the party will intensify.’ The steps taken by Oli at that time could be fatal for the party. The leaders are aware that this should not be allowed to happen.’

Oli has a majority in the central committee. If the four vice-presidents, general secretary and five secretaries openly ‘lobby’ to hand over the leadership, pressure will also be put on Oli in the central committee.

‘The UML statute states that if two-thirds of the district committees or a majority of the national convention delegates demand a special convention in writing, stating a concrete agenda and reasons, the central committee must organize a special convention within six months from the date of registration of the demand,’ the UML statute states.

There is a provision for a majority of the 2,263 delegates in the 11th convention to demand a special convention.