Kathmandu, October 28
CPN-UML Chair and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli has called for a new political movement, saying the country is in a critical situation and that mobilisation is necessary to defend it.
Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of newly nominated central committee members at the party’s central office in Chyasal on Wednesday, Oli said the party must be prepared to launch a movement and warned that avoiding one could undermine its ability to succeed.
“The country is in a critical situation, and we must steer it through this phase. For that, we must be prepared for a movement,” Oli said. He added that political movements were a means of building strength, sustaining political momentum and achieving success.
Oli also accused right-wing forces of using the language of democracy and peace to mislead Nepalis. He alleged that the government was forcing its way forward and criticised what he described as police arrests and raids carried out without uniforms.
He accused the authorities of creating an atmosphere of fear in which people risked legal notices or arrest for speaking out. He also alleged that police had forcibly entered homes, including by breaking doors.
Oli further accused the government of moving unchecked towards fascism, arguing that state institutions had become unable to exercise their freedoms effectively.
He instructed party leaders and cadres to remain mentally prepared for a movement, whether immediately or after the Tihar and Chhath festivals.
“We have no alternative but to move forward in the spirit of a movement,” he said, urging party members to prepare internally while also focusing on the upcoming elections.
Oli also called on the party to prepare for the upcoming local and provincial elections. He said the UML should turn into a “daydream” any plan to build a country without the party, urging members to work towards electoral success.
His remarks come as the UML prepares for upcoming elections and seeks to mobilise its organisation amid criticism of the government. The allegations against the government and police were Oli’s claims in his address.
