CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is facing the music from party cadres in the ongoing general convention unlike Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli who had an easy ride during their respective recent general conventions.
Deuba did not have to face any ideological questions from the question nor did he have to provide any answer also because the party had decided that the general convention will focus only on electing leadership and another one will be held to discuss ideologies.
The UML general convention similarly was a sort of paean to Oli and there was no platform for anyone to criticize or question Oli. Ghanashyam Bhusal was not allowed to present his different opinion to the political report presented by Oli even during the statute general convention held a few months back in Godavari.
But Dahal is facing stringent criticism and questions in the ongoing general convention of Maoist Center. Questions have been raised ranging from his political report to his personal lifestyle. So much so that he has even been slammed for residing at the house of a contractor at Khumaltar.
Cadres have also harshly criticized other senior Maoist leaders and their luxurious lifestyle and urged them to mend ways. Central members Ram Karki and Lekh Nath Neupane have even registered different opinions including criticisms.
Dahal had presented ideological and political report and leader Dev Gurung the draft statute on the second day of the ongoing general convention on Monday.
A total of 25 different groups discussed the report and draft statute on Tuesday. The group leaders briefed about their conclusion on Wednesday and Thursday and were blunt in their criticism of Dahal and other leaders.
Many cadres raised questions about Dahal living in the house of controversial contractor Sharada Prasad Adhikari and asked him to leave the house. Central member Devendra Parajuli and others even proposed that the cadres will build a house for Dahal that he will have to vacate once his term as chairman expires. "We 800,000 cadres can build a house for the party chairman to live. Every party chairman will have to live in the house built by cadres," Parajuli said.
Dahal had mentioned the wealth of 10 richest persons in the world in his political report and pointed that the 10 can buy the whole world. Many cadres made sarcastic reference to that claiming that the 10 riches Maoist leaders have more money than the rest of 800,000 cadres.
Provincial lawmaker from Lumbini Sudarshan Baral and others even demanded that the wealth of the 10 richest party leaders be made public. The cadres pointed how some Maoist leaders have become billionaires while many cadres who fougth together during the armed insurgency have to work in the Gulf states to earn a living.
Dahal, who has been leading the party for 30 years, looks set to continue as chairman even after the ongoing general convention. But the cadres don't seem to be in a mood to let him have his way. They have demanded statute amendment prohibiting any leader to serve in the same post for more than two terms.
General convention representatives elect central members and the central members elect the office-bearers in the party. But many are demanding that the representatives should egt to elect the office-bearers directly.
Dahal will have to answer many uncomfortable questions and he can no longer get away merely by promising to mend his ways as in the past. The cadres are putting pressure on him to submit a solid plan for that.
