The main opposition CPN-UML is preparing for a movement against the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government.
UML is preparing to launch the movement in February. Chairman KP Sharma Oli has already instructed the rank and file to remain ready to plunge into the movement whose scope is expected to be expanded on the basis of the government’s reaction.
“We will hold secretariat meeting by January end after the National Assembly election, and will formulate necessary plans for the movement after holding central committee meeting at the start of February,” standing committee member and chief of the publicity department Rajendra Gautam said. “We cannot remain mute spectators to all the misdeeds of the government,” Gautam added.
UML had made CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Dahal the prime minister (PM) on Christmas Day 2022 after the latter broke coalition with Nepali Congress (NC). But the bonhomie ended after Maoist Center decided to support NC’s candidate Ram Chandra Paudel in the presidential candidate, and UML quit the Dahal government at the end of last February.
It is now trying to topple the Dahal government a year on.
Oli instructed the party cadres to remain ready for the movement when the party blows the whistle pointing that the party cannot keep waiting for Mission 84 while addressing the full meeting of the party’s sports wing at the party headquarters Chyasal on Thursday.
The party that had first started mission grassroot last year conducted Mid-Hill Highway centric campaign in December holding mass gatherings at around 50 places.
UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali has said that the movement has become indispensable as misdeeds, corruption and irregularities of the coalition government have piled up. “It is almost three months after the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West. More than 34 persons have died due to chilling cold,” he has complained.
He has claimed that the Dahal government is not in a position to address the problems of citizens as the coalition partners are busy bickering for the spoils. “The complaints seem to come to the fore when they don’t agree on sharing of spoils. Those in the government also look like opposition parties. But those things end at a new level of sharing of spoils and everything is swept under the carpet.”
He has also refuted reports that UML had tried to get six National Assembly seats from the ruling coalition, and claimed that PM Dahal had instead proposed so with UML in return for ending the issue of transitional justice and slammed Dahal for making things that happened between him and Oli public.
He has added that UML refused to link the two issues and pointed that it had some issues regarding transitional justice. “We will support you if you address our interests. Do conclude it through majority if you want to end it through process. We will not obstruct,” he has added revealing the party’s response to Dahal’s proposal.
Another opposition party Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is also preparing a different format to put pressure on the government. RSP President Rabi Lamichhane and Oli have met repeatedly in recent times. Lamichhane briefed his party that Oli was in the mood for mid-term election and is preparing for a movement.
RSP, however, is not for immediately starting the movement. “Janamat Party is also urging to start a movement. But what should we say to invite the people? W, will, therefore, continue to make the misdeeds of the government public in a different manner,” an RSP office-bearer told Setopati.
Political analyst Shyam Shrestha, however, has commented that UML is talking about the movement to placate the cadres after realizing that the basic foundations of the party have been rocked, and added that the movement without any agendas will not yield any results.
“UML conducted campaign in the intervening period. What it realized was that there was earthquake at the grassroots. It has talked about the movement to placate its cadres. There is no relevance of the movement.”
He has opined that only a movement that is based on the agendas like starting agricultural and industrial revolution in the country, ending the land-related problems and creating jobs would touch the citizens.
