Lawmakers of the Khanal-Nepal faction of CPN-UML have warned Chairman KP Sharma Oli they will resign en masse if he does not mend ways and refuses to return to the status on the day of unification with CPN (Maoist Center).
"The time after the meeting Oli unilaterally held on March 12 should be taken as zero hour. That means returning to May 16, 2018 (the day of unification)," a lawmaker of the faction told Setopati. "Oli has majority. He can also call all party committees organizing committees. But there should be our presence."
The lawmaker revealed that if the faction decides to resign en masse, even the provincial lawmakers will resign. "UML governments will not remain anywhere if we resign at the center and provinces. Oli will suffer losses due to that," another lawmaker confided. "We believe this will be more political than crossing the floor or remaining absent. It will even make easier for us to go to the people and cadres."
The lawmakers said that Oli has yet to respond despite the faction communicating about threats of resignation.
A lawmaker of Oli camp also confided with Setopati that the Khanal-Nepal faction can choose one of the three options of crossing the floor, remaining absent during the voting on floor test sought by Oli and resigning.
"I don't feel they will help us. They have put the condition of returning to May 16, 2018 and Oli is not in mood to do that," the lawmaker stated. "The situation has moved much forward. I, therefore, feel Oli will not take much initiative. He has made up his mind that passing or failing the floor test doesn't make much difference."
Oli has decided to seek floor test on May 10.
The Khanal-Nepal faction was said to have 35 House of Representatives (HoR) members with 23 of them elected through first past the post system. But Dhruva Shahi elected from Surkhet has already said he has quit the faction. Oli has already sought explanation from 20 of the 22 remaining lawmakers. He has asked explanation from a total of 30 lawmakers including the 20 directly elected ones.
"There is no meaning of a lawmaker elected through proportional representation system resigning. They can immediately replace the resigning lawmaker," a lawmaker of the Khanal-Nepal faction said. "It seems we may not have any other option if Oli is not flexible. What the leaders conclude to do will be our final decision."
