Kathmandu, May 18
Following the merger of CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre into the powerful Nepal Communist Party, the main opposition Nepali Congress fears the unification and formation of a stronger left party may create a ‘dominating tendency’ in its leaders and they will ultimately be intolerant other political forces.
Though the Congress spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma has welcomed the unification and extended his best wishes to the new party, most Congress leaders are of the view that the unification will not do any good to them.
In fact, the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led party was harbouring the fear of authoritarianism since the communist alliance secured majority in last year’s parliamentary elections. With the merger yesterday, the fear has increased significantly, according to the leaders.
“We may be wrong, but we think the entire state mechanism will be intolerant to us.”
They say Communist Party Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s statement that the Congress has now lost its competitive position is also an indication of that intolerance. “He needed not express any comment about us when they were unified,” a leader says.
Congress leader Minendra Rijal says the party should not make any comment about the unification in haste, but wait for its activities including how it will run the government. “But, the innate nature of any power is dominating. Moreover, here are two communist parties. Prime Minister Oli’s working style is also intolerant,” he says.
The leader, however, adds that the unification will be a positive move for the country if the new party remains committed to democratic values and principles.
A section of leaders in the opposition also hopes that the unification has piled pressure on the Congress leadership to end internal divisions and build itself more unified, stronger.
