Nepal: KP Sharma Oli has his feet in two boats. The party he leads, CPN-UML, has declared Oli its prime ministerial candidate but has also moved the court against the interim government’s recommendation to the President to dissolve the House of Representatives.
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| Source: kp oli facebook |
Moreover,
the declared March 5 elections are fast approaching. The Election Commission
has completed almost all logistical preparations for the vote. Political
leaders and candidates have switched on the campaign mode, fully engaging in
publicity, both physically and digitally. Out of the 165 electoral
constituencies, the UML is contesting 163 directly elected House seats.
A
central committee meeting of the CPN on Wednesday formally endorsed Chairman
Oli as the party’s prime ministerial candidate, subject to his election from
Jhapa-5 and the UML mustering enough seats to get a House majority.
Speaking
at a press conference on Wednesday, Vice-chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa confirmed
the party’s decision. Thapa said the decision was driven by “the need to protect
the country and to revive patriotic and democratic forces”.
But the
UML still hopes the Supreme Court will reinstate the House, aborting the
parliamentary election process. The party that led the coalition government
with the Nepali Congress until the September revolt overthrew the Oli
administration thus has a half-hearted approach to the March vote.
In the
wake of the September 8–9 Gen Z uprising, President Ramchandra Paudel on
September 12 dissolved the House on the recommendation of Prime Minister
Sushila Karki-led Cabinet and announced fresh elections.
Having
faced some controversy in picking its candidates, the UML is now focusing on
the elections, sending its candidates out to the field. Voices in the party
that the Supreme Court should initiate hearings for restoring the House,
however, haven’t died down.
The
matter was discussed at Wednesday’s central committee meeting too. The party is
also exploring some sort of collaboration with the Nepali Communist Party led
by Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the election. Earlier, the party decided to back
Janardan Sharma of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party in Rukum West.
Another
UML concern is the security situation. An environment where people can vote
freely and without fear has still not been created, the UML’s publicity
division said in a statement on Wednesday. “The party is clear that periodic
elections are the backbone of a democratic system.”
So, on
one hand the party is questioning the validity of the elections; on the other,
they are also exploring the possibility of electoral tie-ups.
An aide
to Prime Minister Karki told the Post that Oli’s calculated move is a matter of
concern and interest to them. With the polls just a month away, excitement
about the elections and the party’s hesitation leave observers confused, he
told the Post. Some senior leaders of the Congress, the UML and the Nepali
Communist Party have put pressure on the Supreme Court to start hearing the
case against House dissolution, the PM’s aide shared.
Congress
members of the dissolved House have also knocked on the court’s door seeking a
revival of their terms.
As the
electoral momentum seems to be building in favour of the Rastriya Swatantra
Party, UML leaders are worried about a possible rout. Their oft-heard call for
broader unity among communist forces stems from this fear. But a UML leader,
who asked not to be named, said the party’s electoral ground is nearly not as
shaky as projected in some sections of the media.
UML
Secretary Mahesh Basnet, who is running for the Bhaktapur-2 House seat, claimed
on Wednesday that the party will win 10 out of the 15 constituencies in
Kathmandu Valley, which comprises Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts.
Basnet
ruled out the possibility of electoral cooperation with any other political
party at the moment but said restoration of the dissolved House is their
preference. He also dismissed reports that party chair Oli had held discussions
with leaders of other parties for electoral cooperation.
UML
leader Rajan Bhattarai, who is contesting from Kathmandu–4, also made it clear
that his party will contest the election on its own strength. On Wednesday, the
party gathered its 15 candidates from the three districts of the Valley.
In
another event on Wednesday organised by Press Chautari, a forum of journalists
close to the UML, Thapa reiterated the demand for House restoration. On the
other hand, he also said discussions continued with various parties on possible
electoral cooperation.
“Top
leaders of responsible parties remain in continuous dialogue. That alone does
not mean electoral cooperation is being planned,” Basnet said.
Basnet
alleged that the court had been sitting on the writ petition “out of the fear
of having to rule in favour of House reinstatement”. He said the court cannot
evade its responsibility. Basnet claimed that judges were absent “on the
pretext of illness” and had even been turning off their phones.
Bhattarai
said the UML’s position remains that if Parliament is restored, the
constitution and democracy could return to a normal course.
Thapa
stressed the need for unity among nationalist forces against “those pushing the
country towards instability”. He said there still was the possibility of
alignment between like-minded forces in some constituencies.
Suggesting
the involvement of non-political and external forces in the upcoming elections,
UML central committee member Bishnu Rijal said the decision to dissolve the
House was backed by the Nepali Army, while external forces such as India,
China, the United States and the European Union support the current election
process. “Therefore, I do not see any chance of the House of Representatives
being reinstated.”
The UML
may be employing a pressure tactic to ensure timely elections, Rijal added. The
UML, among other parties, has yet to publish its election manifesto.
