Review Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal, March 17, 2020: Though factional feuds have always been a defining characteristic of the ruling head Nepal Communist Party (NCP), the recent one division into two camps- one is led by chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and another led by executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The division between the chairs of the party has not only created a row along the former UML and Maoist lines but also created a fragmentation among the leadership of the unified party NCP triggering a fear of vertical division.
The division surfaced with the secretariat decision to send Bamdev Gautam to the National Assembly member, has now intensified after House Speaker Agni Sapkota ‘unilaterally’ elevated Gopal Nath Yogi, as officiating general secretary at the Parliament Secretariat though top leaders have not spoke publicly over the issue.
As Sapkota was also picked as Speaker going against the interests of the Oli and his led camp, it has now felt a big betray against of the loyal to former UML. Sapkota had elevated Yogi, a secretary at the Parliament Secretariat, to officiating general secretary of the federal parliament after Manohar Prasad Bhattarai retired after the expiration of his appointment on Friday.
Terming the decision to elevate Yogi as unilateral move, the Oli led camp has now not only protested the decision but also intensified the campaign in the pretext of protecting the line and loyalties of the former UML. National Assembly Chair Ganesh Timilsina and former speaker Subash Chandra Nembang, both are considered as confident to Oli, have publically opposed the decision.
National Assembly Chair Timilsina has been claiming that he was not consulted for the appointment of the general secretary of the federal parliament. I had asked the Speaker Sapkota to make a joint decision, but, I came to know about Yogi’s appointment through the media, Timilsina said. He has made the claim even preferring the existing provision that the general secretary of the federal parliament has to be appointed in agreement between the Lower House Speaker and the National Assembly chair.
Though other top leaders of the ruling head NCP including Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam have stayed mum over the rivalry between the chairs with the aim to give an impression to have sorted out the internal differences. However, party insiders have attributed that the silence three leaders have created a moral pressure to Oli to take his position in the party to protect the loyalists to formerly UML.
Following the discharge of Oli from the hospital after second kidney transplant surgery, the second-rung leaders loyal to Oli have intensified talks with Nepal and Khanal to bring them into confidence. However, no progress is made yet to give a message that Nepal and Khanal would not stand in favor of Oli in the pretext of protecting the party line and loyalists of the former UML.
The disputes over the secretariat decision was intensified after Oli rejected to recommend Gautam to the NA member as he was in favor of reappointing Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada in the post. Only two members, namely Ishowr Pokhrel and Bishnu Poudel have been backing stand of Oli.
To give the counter attack to the secretariat decision Oli had taken some crucial decisions before admitting in the hospital for the kidney transplant surgery such as recalling Nepal’s Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal, who is known to be close to Dahal and re-appointed Khatiwada as finance minister without consulting in the party.
As Oli has returned at residence after surgery, leaders loyal to him have intensified meetings with Dahal, Nepal, Khanal and even with Gautam in the pretext of charting out a middle path to resolve the feud. But a resolution is yet to be achieved, thanks to the division among the top leaderships.
