CPN standing committee member Barsha Man Pun has said that Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has endured a lot since unification and bearing it further will harm the party.
"Chairman Dahal endured everything in the past two to two and a half years. Manny things happened. The parties secured 3.20 million and 1.60 million votes in the general election. One party supported the other even in the first-past-the-post electoral system. The two parties jointly received the people's mandate but that was not respected," Dahal's confidant Pun told Setopati in a video interview."
"Chairman Dahal endured even when that happened. But it is too much now. He has presented his rage and feelings through the political proposal feeling it has crossed a limit. He has endured much, enduring more will put the communist movement and the overall party in trouble."
He argued that the proposal has been brought thinking that the communist movement in the country will move forward instead of bringing it against CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli or anyone else.
"The country should move toward socialism. There should be improvement in governance. Good governance. There should be development and prosperity, and work should be done on people's aspirations. To do that, questions should be asked if the government and the party are not moving in the right direction. Dahal has raised those questions," he added. "It may have been too much or little blunt while writing. Those things can be corrected sitting together."
He stressed that the proposal will not be withdrawn and said the party will wait for PM Oli's report and find solution discussing both the reports. He stated that both the reports will be taken to the standing committee and even central committee if necessary, and pointed that a single document can be prepared on the issues agreed and the disagreements can be taken to the general convention.
He opined that everything cannot be linked to unification. "Saying there will be unity if one likes and unity will be broken when one doesn't will be harmful to the party."
Dahal had presented a 19-page proposal with consent of the majority of secretariat members during the secretariat meeting on November 13 criticizing CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli and slamming him for failing to properly run both the government and the party.
Oli has announced end of past agreements and understanding with fellow Dahal after the proposal and those in the Oli camp have been demanding withdrawal of the proposal.
Oli demanded time to respond to the political proposal submitted by Dahal during the last secretariat meeting on November 18. He claimed that Dahal's proposal has baselessly made serious allegations against him and he will have to respond to that with preparations.
The meeting, therefore, decided to give him 10 days to draft the response. The next secretariat meeting is scheduled for November 28, standing committee meeting five days after that and central committee meeting another seven days later.
The ruling party is again facing a grave crisis with Dahal claiming that PM Oli has proposed to split the ruling party even as Oli is in minority in parliamentary party, secretariat, standing committee and central committee.
Dahal, Khanal, Nepal and Shrestha have been together in the fight against Oli all the time while Gautam keeps on changing camps. Gautam is angry with Oli now after he was not inducted in the Cabinet in the latest Cabinet reshuffle.
Sources close to Oli, however, have claimed that Dahal has demanded the post of PM.
Dahal is reportedly aggrieved about the Karnali dispute, Cabinet reshuffle, Oli's meeting with Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Samant Kumar Goel, murder of a party cadre in Parsa and other issues.
Oli and Dahal had signed a five-point agreement at the time of unification of the then CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) on May 17, 2018. The two parties had unified to form CPN the next day on the basis of the five-point agreement.
The fourth point of the agreement mentioned that the two chairmen will lead the government as necessary on the basis of equality and equal period.
But Dahal had relinquished his claim for the post of PM after the two chairmen signed an agreement on division of responsibilities in presence of President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on November 20, 2019.
Dahal was made chairman with executive rights. Oli and Dahal were to remain chairmen, and Oli to continue to be ranked top but Oli had handed over the executive rights to Dahal.
Dahal was to lead the party and chair party meetings while Oli would lead the government through the current term of House of Representatives, according to the agreement.
The party was then on the verge of split with Dahal aggrieved that Oli continues to run even the party unilaterally and the overwhelming majority of members during the last standing committee meeting seeking resignation of PM Oli.
The two chairmen then formed a six-strong task force in August to resolve internal dispute in the party. The standing committee meeting then took decision on the basis of the report submitted by the task force that recommended that Oli would serve the full five-year term as PM and Dahal would take the wheel of the party.
Dahal was to be fully active in party works but required to consult PM Oli who will remain a sort of ceremonial chairman. Similarly, PM Oli was required to move the government works forward consulting Dahal.
But Oli has unilaterally made appointments of ambassadors and reshuffled Cabinet without endorsement of Dahal since the standing committee decision.
