POLITICS Instability Rules

Division, factionalism and instability are core parts of Nepali politics

July 13, 2020, 7:11 a.m. Published in Magazine Issue: VOL. 14 No. 01, July17, 2020 ( Shrawan 02, 2077) Publisher: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75

From the sit-in-protest by the junior leader of ruling Nepal Communist Party to nation-wide rally in support of Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli, all dramas are underway in the ruling party.

Even with nearly two-thirds of the majority in parliament, Nepal Communist Party’s government has landed in trouble following the failure of prime minister Oli to accommodate his rivals in the party and in power-sharing.

The crux of power-sharing is yet to be found. In the past, the dispute ended in patch-up and even this round of struggle is likely to end with a decision to allow Oli to continue as the PM. However, it has badly damaged the credibility of the government.

Despite holding several rounds of talks, factional leaders of Nepal Communist Party are yet to come together. With hectic negotiations of four days, they were set to come to certain terms with unity message. However, it will not have significant impacts on people.

Their actions have already generated a sense of instability among the people. For Nepal, therefore, instability is the rule. Nepal has seen many unstable courses in the last four decades. Be it a minority or two-thirds-majority government, nothing seems to make a difference. Thus, the new unity or division in NCP will not have any implications broadly.

The cause of a constant instability over the last 60 years, the political wrangling is not a matter of interest for an overwhelming majority of Nepalese people. Suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic slowdown, people have very little interest in current politics.

The dispute in the party deepened following the closing of the budget session of House of Representatives by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who has been openly blaming India and his colleagues as working to hatch a conspiracy against him.

After disputes intensified, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) summoned the Standing Committee meeting. However, it was postponed several times. Surya Thapa, the press advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, said that the leaders will find a common ground for compromise.

Thapa said several rounds of discussion between party chairs KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to sort out the latest political rift will bring the settlement at the party.

Party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha expressed that the dispute in the party will be settled. Amidst growing calls for the resignation from the post of PM and as party chair, PM Oli abruptly closed the summer session and threatened to take political actions. He even met Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.

As the top brass of the party failed to forge consensus on the latest rift in the party, the second rung leaders of NCP have launched a program to build pressure on the chairmen duo to rebuild trust and protect party unity.

Stating since the country had been struggling with COVID-19 and locust invasion had also triggered a catastrophic alarm, they said that in this time of crisis the ruling party shouldn’t plunge into intra-party disputes.

Amidst the latest dispute within the party, the central committee members of NCP took an initiative particularly. Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Parbat Gurung, to pressurize the chairs to forge consensus.

Narad Muni Rana, the CC member of NCP, said they were preparing to form a pressure group of the CC members. “The intra-party dispute will remain as it is if the chairmen will fail to rebuild trust. So, we are preparing programs to put pressure on both the chairmen to forge consensus for party unity,” said Rana.

A group of central committee members launched a Satyagraha asking the top brass of the party to sort out the differences and save party unity.

Whether the party is divided or remains united, people have lost their confidence in the government.

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