Khanal, Nepal, Oli in talks to salvage consensus

UPDATED with further details at 1200 NST, 0615 GMT

BUTWAL, Feb 19: After mediators’ efforts to convince three contenders for the party’s top job to come up with only one consensus candidate yielded no fruit, the top CPN-UML leaders started their meeting at a hotel in Butwal Thursday morning.[break]

However, the meeting, which comes as the last-ditch effort to salvage “consensus” is very unlikely to come to a decision as two of the three leaders – outgoing General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal and senior leader KP Sharma Oli – have shown no sign of backing off from the fray. Though the third leader, former General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, has remained unusually quiet, he is very much likely to throw his weight behind Oli.

Thursday morning, mediators like Subas Chandra Nembang (who is also the chair of the Constituent Assembly), Amrit Bohara, Pradip Gyawali, Shankar Pokharel, Keshav Badal and Mukunda Neupane and Yubaraj Gyawali, had held separate meetings with all the three leaders. Some of the leaders, who met Khanal, said the erstwhile UML chief “created obstruction in the way of consensus”.

Just before the meeting started, Oli told journalists that he was hopeful of a consensus candidate. In the event such a candidate can’t emerge as both Khanal and Oli have shown no sign of backing off, Oli said they should go for the direct election. “If everyone thinks they are the consensus candidate, they should go to the judges (1800-plus delegates) for a verdict”.

However, the proposed statute amendment proposal says the central committee elected by the delegates will elect leaders to hold top positions – chairman, vice-chairman, general-secretary and secretary. Oli said confidently that this provision will be “definitely” changed in the final document due to be approved by the delegates. “This provision will be amended. The hall should directly elect them (for the top positions). That will happen and that should happen,” said Oli. “Otherwise, those who must be in the central committee will be kicked out.” Khanal is opposed to Oli’s proposal.

The eighth national convention of Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist is underway in Butwal since Monday.

As the top leaders are meeting, the delegates – divided into 20 groups – are continuing with their group discussions. They are scheduled to present their conclusions (on the political paper presented by Khanal, five supplementary proposals and statute amendment proposal tabled by Amrit Bohara) after the lunch, Thursday.