CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said he is ready to hand over party leadership to the new generation.
Speaking in the standing committee meeting on Sunday, he stated that individuals and posts are not a big deal to institutionalize the republican system and party unity. "Who becomes chairman is not a big deal on the issue of institutionalizing the changes we brought and party unity," a standing committee member quoted Dahal as saying in the meeting that CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli boycotted. "I am ready to quit the post of chairman to bring new generation when we are still here."
Oli has also earlier claimed that he wants to hand over leadership to the new generation.
Speaking after Deputy PM and secretariat member Ishwar Pokharel read Oli's letter in the meeting, Dahal blamed Oli for the current dispute. "The current situation arose after he opened fire and we responded. We had only written a letter demanding meeting. Solution could have been found through informal discussion. But he went public."
Oli said he did not attend the standing committee meeting as the proposal of Dahal should not be discussed in the meeting.
Oli, who opposed the meeting claiming it has been called without any agenda, reiterated his disapproval of Dahal's proposal in the letter. He, however, stated that he trust the wisdom of standing committee members hinting that he may accept the meeting's decision.
The next standing committee meeting will now be held on December 13. CPN Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the central committee meeting has also been called on December 20.
The secretariat meeting held on Saturday had called the standing committee meeting despite Oli's opposition. A source close to Oli claimed that he protested when fellow Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced that standing committee meeting will be called. "There is no preparation for common agenda. No proposal. Why and for what is this meeting?" the source quoted Oli as saying. "Dahal announced the meeting and left even as PM was protesting. They are lying that both the proposals will be taken."
The source added that Oli is still firm on his demand that the proposal presented by Dahal should be withdrawn.
CPN chairmen have resorted to making formal allegations against each other in their reports with Dahal making the allegations first in his political proposal. Oli responded to Dahal's proposal making counter allegations against Dahal.
Oli challenged fellow Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to legally prove corruption allegations or apologize for the allegations or be ready to face punishment if he doesn't apologize.
Oli stated in his response that criminal allegations cannot be discussed politically and said the party should adopt legal way for criminal accusations. He added that the criminal allegations should either be proved or there should be apology on that or Dahal should face punishment for groundless allegations if he doesn't apologize.
Oli also accused Dahal of nepotism in his response to Dahal's political proposal that he presented to the secretariat meeting Saturday afternoon. "There is nepotism in you. Making daughter-in-law minister, daughter mayor and nephew ambassador is not socialism," Oli's report accuses.
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. He has also made corruption allegations against Oli in the proposal.
Oli has already 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.
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.
