The government’s move to introduce a bill related to political parties has caused the most alarm in the CPN (Unified Socialist) led by Madhav Kumar Nepal.
A meeting of a high-level political mechanism involving the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML on Friday decided to advance bills related to the implementation of the Constitution and laws.
They also discussed introducing a bill related to political parties with relaxed provisions.
Some lawmakers of the Unified Socialist have since long been avoiding the party’s central committee and regular activities. The top leadership of the Unified Socialist fears that they might join another party. This has led to fears of split in the party.
On September 27, 2021, the then-government led by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba withdrew an ordinance related to political parties that it had issued. At the time, there was a provision allowing a party to be split with the support of 20 percent of parliamentary party or central committee members.
It was after the ordinance was issued that the UML split and Unified Socialist was formed.
After the government withdrew the ordinance, Section 13 of the Political Parties Act that contained the provision allowing such splits became inactive.
The government is now preparing to register a bill to amend the Political Parties Act including a provision that allows a party to be split with 40 percent support in either the central committee or the parliamentary party.
A leader revealed that the bill will include provisions that allow a party to be split with 40 percent support in the central committee or the parliamentary party, but prohibit the splintered faction from merging with another party. This is why the NC has agreed to introduce the bill.
The government is in a difficult position as it has been unable to table six ordinances, including one related to land, for approval in Parliament. The government enjoys a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives. In the National Assembly, however, the land-related ordinance cannot be passed without the support of the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSP-N). The Upendra Yadav-led party has maintained that it will help pass the other five ordinances only if the land-related ordinance is withdrawn. Unified Socialist leaders see the government’s attempt to advance the bill on political parties at this time as an effort to “create pressure.”
They suspect that the government is trying to get the ordinances passed even if it means splitting parties. Moreover, they believe the government might be trying to split the Unified Socialist itself.
The Unified Socialist has had issues since before its 10th general convention. Since lawmakers including Prem Ale, Kisan Kumar Shrestha, and Dhan Bahadur Budha are dissatisfied with the party, the Unified Socialist is further unsettled by fears that the government may be trying to make it easy for them to split the party.
There is also evidence to support this suspicion. Ale, Shrestha and other disgruntled leaders have not even attended central committee meetings after the 10th general convention. They have already distanced themselves from the party’s regular activities.
Senior party leader Beduram Bhusal said that while drafting bills is the government’s job, rushing to introduce this particular bill at this time should be viewed with suspicion. He said that the government is employing a strategy to pass the ordinances by putting other parties under pressure.
“The government can bring bills. But the reason behind the attempt to introduce a bill related to political parties right now could be a strategy to pressure other parties into passing the ordinances,” he said.
Bhusal said that the ordinances are unlikely to get through the National Assembly. He also claimed that the government cannot get the land-related ordinance approved even if it brings the bill on political parties.
Bhusal insisted that there are no internal problems within the Unified Socialist and asserted that the party cannot be split.
“The government will try, no doubt. But there are no problems within the Unified Socialist. I don’t see the ordinances issued by the government getting approved,” he said.
Unified Socialist leader Jhalanath Khanal said that the Unified Socialist won’t be alarmed by the government’s introducing a bill to amend the Political Parties Act. He said there is no guarantee that the Unified Socialist will split merely because a bill related to splitting of parties is introduced.
“A bill being introduced with the assumption that the Unified Socialist will split could also cause split of other parties. Even the UML could split. I see discontent there too,” he said.
Meanwhile, party chairman Nepal has already appeared unsettled. He previously accused the government of conspiring to get the land-related ordinance passed.
At a central committee meeting held on February 21, he presented a political report stating that the government was engaging in various conspiracies to get the ordinances approved.
“For the first time in our parliamentary history, a notice to reject all six ordinances tabled by the government has been registered. It seems there will be a fierce dispute between the ruling and opposition sides in Parliament. The government is resorting to all sorts of conspiracies to get the ordinances approved,” the report stated.
Unified Socialist leader and lawmaker Prem Ale said he currently has no intention of splitting the party. He claimed to be unaware of a bill on political parties being introduced.
While acknowledging dissatisfaction within the party, he admitted that he and others have stopped attending central committee meetings.
Lawmaker Kisan Kumar Shrestha echoed his views. Shrestha said that his focus is on Parliament and voters and not on the party’s activities. He said that he has not been attending central committee meetings due to his lack of interest in the party.
