CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has made it clear that he will not lead a special general convention of the party.
Speaking at Wednesday’s central committee meeting, General Secretary Pokharel said that he would not lead a special general convention if doing so could create strife within the party.
He also said that he was not seeking to become party chairman by removing party Chairman KP Sharma Oli.
“I will not lead efforts to hold a special general convention in a way that creates disagreement or division within the party, whatever the statute convention may say,” he had said.
Rejecting speculation that he was seeking to become party chairman, he said, “There is speculation on your disagreement at the moment that Shankar Pokharel is trying to become chairman. I will not become chairman.”
Here are the five main points raised by General Secretary Pokharel:
1. He will not lead a special general convention
General Secretary Pokharel made it clear that he would not lead a special general convention if it resulted in disagreement and division within the party. He also clarified that he was not seeking to become party chairman.
2. Clarification on Point 17 of task force report
Pokharel also discussed Point 17 of the report prepared by the task force on election review and party reorganization.
He acknowledged that Chairman Oli had interpreted it as an attempt to remove him, and that this had created mistrust between the chairman and the general secretary.
However, clarifying that removing the chairman was not his intention, he said: “I tried to explain it in the sense that, at this point, we should not go for a special general convention, and that the party center itself should carry out the reorganization.”
He also said that he had intended to convey one message, but that it was understood differently, creating problems as a result.
3. Reorganization should not be limited to changing the leadership
Pokharel said that party reorganization does not simply mean changing the chairman or leadership. He described ideological, political, and organizational reforms as important components of reorganization.
According to him, framing the reorganization debate around individuals had also created a psychological divide within the party.
“I believe reorganization should not be viewed only in the narrow sense of changing the leadership. Our focus should have been on how to reform the party as a whole, but our debate ended up becoming centered on individuals,” he said.
4. Acceptance of achievements under Oli’s leadership as party’s political capital
Pokharel gave a positive assessment of the work carried out under party Chairman Oli’s leadership, describing those achievements as capital for the party and the broader movement.
At the same time, he said that the party should seriously examine why voters did not give it the expected level of support in the most recent election despite those achievements.
“The work we have done under the leadership of the party chairman is, after all, the capital of our movement,” he said.
He stated that the responsibility of necessary synthesis and leadership for guiding the party in the right direction rests with Chairman Oli himself.
“Chairman Comrade KP Sharma Oli should lead the effort to synthesize all of that and take the party in the right direction,” he said.
5. Need to maintain party unity and strengthen its relationship with public
Pokharel stressed the need to move forward in unity by putting an end to the party’s old divisions and the mindset associated with the previous general convention. He said that the party needs to reconnect with the public and boost the morale of its rank and file.
“Let us strengthen the committees, strengthen our relationship with the people, restore confidence among the party rank and file, and unite the entire party organization in a way that enables it to face today’s challenges,” he said.
