CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Senior Leader Madhav Kumar Nepal have told leaders of Bagmati close to them that they can no longer bear domineering CPN Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP SharmaOli.
"I couldn't bear it. I suffered this high-handedness, very tough high-handedness," a leader quoted Dahal as telling incharges, chairmen and secretaries of districts in Bagmati close to the faction. "It has become very difficult to bear it."
Replying to Oli for labeling him a betrayer in the former's report, he argued that Oli should be thankful to his betrayal to Nepali Congress (NC) and hail it instead. "You became PM twice due to my betrayal of NC. You would not have become PM had I not betrayed NC."
Dahal said he responded to Oli's warning that Nepal can betray in the future stating that tomorrow does not count much when he has been betrayed by Oli today. He argued that the intra-party dispute should be taken to the central committee which is the party's supreme body.
Nepal said Oli's arrogance and hubris need to be shattered. "What he should quit or whether he should be dismissed or not depend on him. Why should he be removed if he comes to the committee and wins us over? But we will be forced to remove him if he does not attend the meeting," Nepal stressed. "Many things will be resolved if he faces the meeting. His tricks have ended. The episode of calling agreement between the two chairmen party decision has ended."
Secretary of CPN in Kathmandu Himal Sharma said Dahal and Nepal briefed leaders about the current state in the party. "They talked for an hour each. Responded to questions. Dahal said he has preserved party unity facing humiliation. Nepal said that the majority of secretariat members own up Dahal's report and stressed that it will not be withdrawn at any cost. He pointed that was not just a charge sheet but a report."
Nepal said the current efforts are to return the party back to collective leadership from Oli's unilateral ways, according to Central member Rachana Khadka. "Two documents have been submitted to the party now. They will guide us. We will seek resolution keeping the two documents in front of us," Khadka quoted Nepal as saying. "There is nothing like agreement between the two chairmen. That has failed. We are now trying to return the party back to collective leadership. Anything can happen while returning."
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.
