Three suggestions from across the country to the task force led by Vice Chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa: Oli should hand over leadership, internal party unity under the current leadership, or all office bearers should take leave.
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The Election Review and Party Reorganization Working Group has concluded that not only Chairman KP Sharma Oli but also all office bearers are responsible for the UML's huge defeat in the Falgun 21 elections. A member of the working group informed that the working group formed under the coordination of Vice President Ram Bahadur Thapa reached this conclusion based on suggestions taken from important departments of the party including provinces.
The working group concluded that the collective leadership (office bearers) is responsible for the Gen-G movement of last year and the situation that arose thereafter, at a time when voices were being raised within the party that the then Prime Minister and party leader Oli should be responsible for the situation that arose after that. The central secretariat meeting on Jestha 10 was coordinated by Vice President Thapa and included Vice Presidents Bishnu Poudel, Prithvi Subba Gurung, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel, Deputy Secretary General Lekhraj Bhatta, Secretaries Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Padma Aryal, Bhanubhakta Dhakal and Provincial In-charges. The working group reached its conclusion based on suggestions from discussions at 12 places.
Preparations are underway to formulate an action plan for the reorganization of the party and leadership based on the report of the task force. The task force member says that the report is being prepared as per Oli's wishes. 'The report is being prepared as per Chairman KP Oli's wishes, it will make it easier for the chairman,' the leader said.
The report will be implemented after it is approved by the Central Secretariat and Central Committee. UML vice-chairmen Poudel, Gurung, Gokarna Bista, Raghu Pant and other leaders have been of the opinion that Oli should pave the way from the leadership. Another leader who has raised questions about Oli says that a policy is being prepared to resolve the questions raised against Oli based on the report of the task force.
The written and verbal suggestions received by the task force at the provincial level are of a mixed nature. Since most of the members of the provincial committee are from the establishment side, it has been suggested that it would be appropriate for him to leave the next general convention rather than immediately replacing Oli. However, there have been suggestions that the leadership should be handed over, saying that Oli is the main leader responsible for the Gen-G movement and the subsequent election results. In a survey conducted among about 2,000 cadres and outsiders led by former UML Intellectuals Council Chairman Gajendra Thapaliya, 87.6 percent voted for a leadership reorganization. The task force has also taken that report as a suggestion.
Task force coordinator Vice President Ram Bahadur Thapa and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel are doing their homework to finalize the report based on the suggestions received from the provinces. Task force member Deputy Secretary General Lekhraj Bhatta said that the report will be prepared based on the suggestions received from the provinces.
‘There have been suggestions that the party should be completely restructured from the bottom up politically, ideologically, and culturally,’ he said. ‘We will review where there are weaknesses in politics, ideas, principles, policy plans, and election results.’ He said, ‘The chairman alone is not responsible for the party coming to this state. It is not a matter of imposing weaknesses on a single person. The entire leadership is responsible.’ Oli refuted the demand of some leaders that he should take the main responsibility for the party’s huge defeat in the election. ‘The party went to the election under collective leadership. The party was targeted by everyone,’ he said. ‘It is not right to impose the responsibility for the defeat on a single person.’
Secretary Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that discussions are underway on the report to formulate a new program in UML, and that there is no possibility of individual-centered reorganization in the party. ‘The report will help build the party, add energy to leaders and cadres, and connect with the people. We will move forward on the path of overall party reorganization by taking lessons from past self-examination and weaknesses,’ he said, ‘but there is no possibility of individual-centered reorganization.’
UML central member Khimlal Bhattarai said that there were three suggestions, including formally handing over the leadership. ‘We should move forward after handing over the leadership.’ Second, we should continue the same leadership and lead the party in a unified manner. Third, not only Chairman KP Oli, but other office bearers should also take leave,’ he said, ‘The common cadres have sought a change in the party’s policy and leadership.’ The suggestion that it would be appropriate to proceed in that way is also strong.'
The provincial committee members have argued that the transfer of leadership should be in accordance with the law, and Chairman Oli, who was elected from the general convention, has suggested that he leave based on that law. Koshi Provincial Committee Chairman Ghanshyam Khatiwada said that it would be appropriate to reorganize the party and leadership according to the law.
'It is generally said in the province that leadership should not be changed at present. Since the party leadership came from the general convention, if it has to leave, there have been suggestions that it should follow that law,' he said. 'There have been suggestions that the leadership should leave to form a party with a small number.'
Madhesh Provincial Chairman Chandreshwor Mandal said that he had suggested the leadership to move forward through internal unity. 'The suggestion has been made to go that way since strengthening the internal unity of the party is the need of the hour,' he said.
The leaders of Bagmati Province, however, have suggested that the party should first work according to its rules, policies and procedures, stating that it is not being implemented according to the party's rules, policies and procedures. Chairman Oli has been making important party decisions according to his wishes.
'The party should be implemented according to the rules, policies and procedures. Since the party leadership is selected according to the rules and procedures, if it has to be dismissed, it should be done according to that,' he said, giving the suggestion of Bagmati Province, 'If Oli has to leave the chairmanship, he has to leave according to the rules, policies and procedures.' There have been complaints that the UML has not followed the rules in the selection of candidates, but in the distribution of responsibilities, but according to the leadership's whims.
Leaders of Gandaki Province have suggested that one should be ready to leave positions from the center to the local level to form a party. Gandaki Province President Navraj Sharma said that it is time to review the party in a harsh manner in the face of declining public opinion. ‘The party’s public opinion has declined significantly in the elections. This can be improved in the upcoming elections. Overall, the working style within the party should be improved,’ he suggested, ‘If the leadership is to be reorganized, the center should be ready to dissolve the local committee.’
He said that since the UML has been in power for a long time and has not been able to work as expected, there is no alternative to party reorganization to overcome public disappointment. The suggestion has been made that the party should be ready to reorganize its policies and leadership for the benefit of the party. "This is more than a personal problem, it is because we have been in power for a long time and are looking at the work activities,' he added, 'There is a suggestion that all committees should be ready to hold a special general convention for party reconstruction.'
Leaders of Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces had said that all office bearers are responsible for this election result as all the office bearers who were directly candidates lost the election. 'The election result was not in our favor. If the main leadership is to blame, then all the office bearers who were candidates have lost the election. But other office bearers cannot be left behind by holding only the chairman responsible,' Sudurpaschim Province Committee Chairman Krishna Prasad Jaishi said, 'This was the suggestion of most leaders of Sudurpaschim Province.'
