KP Sharma Oli: Formal Steps Initiated to Change UML Party Leadership

Krishna Gopal Shrestha, a leader of the CPN-UML, remains remembered for his defense of his party chairman KP Sharma Oli a few years ago. When then-Prime Minister Oli declared he would not resign, Shrestha remarked, “KP Oli is KP Oli, just like Pele in football, would he resign just because someone says so?” However, now Shrestha is among those pushing to unseat Oli. “He is primarily responsible for the current situation, but he has shown no signs of improvement,” Shrestha told BBC. “There is no alternative but to remove him, or else the party itself will cease to exist.”

In response to growing demands for leadership change within UML, a meeting formed an Election Review and Restructuring Committee. This committee has begun collecting suggestions from Bagmati Province. “Institutionally, the process of leadership change is now underway,” said leader Karn Bahadur Thapa, who has also become increasingly critical of Oli. Thapa believes Oli is aware of this: “We were set to defeat him at the general convention, and now even those who helped bring him to power are working to remove him.”

Paudel, in conversation with BBC, chose not to comment further at this time. Nonetheless, other vice-chairpersons Prithvi Subba Gurung and Raghuji Pant have publicly stated that continuing under Oli’s leadership is untenable. The committee’s discussions before and after the Bagmati Province dialogue are seen by some as Oli’s final attempts at defense.

CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai wrote on Facebook, “Let us unite the CPN-UML even more! Let us succeed in the restructuring efforts!!” Krishna Gopal Shrestha is confident the committee will pave the way for leadership change. “At present, UML feels like KP Oli’s private enterprise, but now, for the sake of the nation, party, and the people, leaders and activists must speak up,” he asserted.