Crisis deepens as party shows PM Oli the door

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was expelled from the primary membership of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) by the splinter faction led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Sunday for alleged anti-party activities, further intensifying the infighting within the ruling party.

The decision was taken at the standing committee meeting of the faction led by former prime ministers Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal in Parisdanda in Koteshwor after Oli failed to give explanations for his recent moves as sought by the party leadership, said Ganesh Shah, a standing committee member of the party.

Earlier in December, the splinter group had removed 68-year-old Oli, one of the two chairmen of the ruling party, as the co-chair. Madhav Nepal was named as the party’s second chairman. Prachanda is the first chairman.

The Prachanda-led faction on January 15 sought clarification from Oli alleging that he was carrying out activities that go against the party’s policies. The faction decided to remove Oli even from the ordinary membership of the party after he chose not to furnish any clarification, party sources said.

The Nepal PM Oli had been accused of violating party statute by the splinter group.

There is a provision of disciplinary action in the party’s rulebook in case of activities against the party’s principles, programmes and policies, according to party sources.

The latest political development came two days after the NCP’S splinter faction led a massive anti-government rally, saying the “unconstitutional” dissolution of the parliament by PM Oli has posed serious threats to the country’s federal democratic republic system. Prachanda last week said that by dissolving the House, Oli has given a blow to the country’s constitution.