The secretariat meeting of the CPN-UML began in Gundu, Bhaktapur, at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
UML leaders have said that the meeting on Sunday will involve a serious review of the protests held on September 8 and 9. After being ousted from power by the Gen Z rebellion, Chairman Oli resigned as prime minister and was taken to the Nepal Army’s barracks.
He returned from the barracks only on September 18.
According to sources, while Oli was still at the barracks, Senior Vice-chairman Ishwar Pokharel had demanded that a meeting be called. As Oli’s return would be delayed, Pokharel insisted on holding a meeting to discuss the situation and form a stance.
However, Oli said that no meeting would be held until he returned.
Since Oli was reluctant to convene a meeting even after moving to Gundu, leaders met him in person and demanded discussions. Meanwhile, Oli called leaders and workers from the secretariat level to party organizations to his residence, sharing his views on the situation. In those discussions, he claimed that a serious conspiracy had been hatched against the government under his leadership and the country and that it needed to be countered.
According to leaders, secretariat-level leaders have already asked Oli to step down as chairman. A leader revealed that Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai, who visited Oli in Gundu a few days ago, urged him to step down.
Secretariat members Surendra Pandey, Yuvaraj Gyawali, and Secretary Gokarna Bista have also said that Oli should resign from the chairman’s position.
Senior Vice-chairman Pokharel is also planning to increase pressure on Oli, saying, “If not now, when will we speak?”. According to leaders, Vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel and Ram Bahadur Thapa have also concluded that the party cannot move forward under Oli’s leadership.
Whether they will voice their concerns openly in Sunday’s meeting remains to be seen, according to the leaders.
