The Secretariat meeting of CPN-UML has formed a 15-member task force led by Ram Bahadur Thapa to review the election results and restructure the party. Despite Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s opposition and stance, the majority of the officials decided to establish the party restructuring task force. UML has also resolved to convene a central committee meeting in the second week of Ashar and to withdraw Min Bahadur Gurung’s proposal to establish a party office in Kalanki.
10 Jestha, Kathmandu – The Secretariat meeting of CPN-UML, which continued for four days, convened for about nine hours on Sunday night. The session ended at 9 pm with decisions including the formation of a task force aimed at reviewing election results and preparing suggestions on party restructuring. According to Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatt, decisions were made to form the task force, hold a central committee meeting in the second week of Ashar, express objections to some government decisions, assign responsibilities to leaders to organize party work effectively, withdraw Min Bahadur Gurung’s proposal to build the party office in Kalanki, and revise the division of duties among leaders.
During the speeches on the third and fourth days, all but a few officials expressed that the party could not be operated under current conditions. The Secretariat meeting, which began with the decision to renew former President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s party membership, was regarded as particularly significant in both UML and national politics. This was the first meeting to review the party’s defeat in the February 21 election, so the attention was expected.
From the start of the meeting, leaders who had long supported Chairman KP Sharma Oli voted in favor of restructuring. On the second day, among the five vice presidents, only Ram Bahadur Thapa supported Oli.
Sources indicate that during the speeches on the third and fourth days, almost all officials stated that the party could not be run effectively in its current state. Secretariat Secretary Mahesh Basnet openly supported Oli, while Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatt took a moderate stance. After the meeting, Basnet said, “There were misleading reports in the media about the chairman being forced to resign or dismissed due to weak numbers, but all that was false. Whatever the chairman proposed today was passed.”
Despite Oli’s opposition, the task force was formed. After UML leadership took over, Oli found himself in the minority among officials but maintained from the beginning that he would not relinquish leadership. Until Saturday, Oli insisted that leadership would not change and urged officials not to waste time. Though some said, “This method is wrong; change must happen,” Oli responded, “It must not happen; please do not waste time.”
On the second day, Vice President Prithvi Subba Gurung defied Oli’s warning. Other officials, even if not explicitly, also voiced their opinions on party restructuring. On the final day, Secretariat members Yamalal Kandel, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, Khagaraj Adhikari, and Sherdhan Rai spoke. Khagaraj Adhikari concluded that the leadership had failed. Oli desired that forming the task force would not result in problems within committees or external interference issues.
“Under your leadership, UML reached the heights of Sagarmatha. Now it is about to fall,” Adhikari said. Sherdhan Rai explained the necessity of the restructuring task force. Sources say Oli appeared more conciliatory in his response, saying softly and repeatedly about unity without using a language of punitive measures. Yet, he rejected the proposal of the restructuring task force with disagreement.
Oli accepted the formation of the task force only on the condition that there would be no debate, differences, or suggestions about the core leadership. “We should discuss all party matters, but the question of core leadership should not be raised, no controversy about leadership. Other topics can be studied,” one leader said.
Eventually, Oli was compelled to retreat from his stance, leading to the formation of a 15-member task force under Ram Bahadur Thapa. This task force will study the problems appearing in leadership and the overall organizational life and submit a report within a month.
“Now UML will move forward based on the suggestions of this task force,” a secretary said. “The report prepared after one month will be discussed at the Secretariat meeting, and the central committee will decide according to the Secretariat’s recommendation.”
The leaders supporting Oli are in the minority within the task force. Besides coordinator Thapa and secretary Mahesh Basnet, only Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatt seems likely to support Oli. The remaining vice presidents, Vishnu Prasad Paudel, Prithvi Subba Gurung, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, and other members openly favor leadership restructuring. Possibly for this reason, Oli opposed the formation of the task force. He wanted to avoid problems such as issues at lower committees and external interference through the task force, yet the Secretariat meeting decided otherwise.
Within UML, many officials and cadres demanded that Oli resign at this meeting. However, whether Oli resigns is left to his discretion. Oli could take moral responsibility for the election result and party crisis by resigning. After losing the election in 2007 BS (1951/52 AD), Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned, but Oli has maintained his stance of not stepping down.
According to sources, some leaders have discussed disciplinary actions against Oli as an alternative to leadership restructuring. “This option might cause further damage to the party. Crisis cannot be resolved through prohibitive measures,” another leader said. According to him, the third option for leadership restructuring is to move the process forward and create an appropriate environment. “The general convention, representative council, or general convention can change leadership; this is the last option.”
This indicates that most officials in UML have strategized to advance the restructuring process through the task force.
