Kathmandu, September 21
Former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has landed the ruling Nepal Communist Party in serious trouble again as he submitted a seven-point note of dissent over decisions of the party’s recent secretariat meeting. For many, this dissatisfaction of the veteran leader originates in the decision to demote him from the third rank of the party to the fourth. However, Nepal has also raised concerns about long-discussed principles like ‘one person, one position’.
So what are the issues that have irked Madhav Kumar Nepal? Here we paraphrase his note of dissent.
1.
System
A communist party should follow its constitution, established norms, values and procedures. However, the party has failed to conduct regular meetings. Even if a meeting is held, it does not follow a proper procedure of informing the members, communicating the agenda and giving them a time to think, study and discuss. The meetings have been held for the sake of formality only. On the other hand, the party has failed to implement decisions of earlier meetings.
2.
Delay in unification
Tasks related to the unification of the then CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre have taken a longer time due to factional interests of some leaders. The party should have selected leaders of the unified party at different levels on the basis of clear and transparent criteria, but the criteria have been shattered to choose certain persons for the leadership positions. The party has failed to form a politburo committee after the unification.
3.
One person, one responsibility
Leaders who have been holding different responsibilities of the government from the federal to the local level should not have been given party responsibilities. Some leaders have multiple responsibilities whereas some have been forced to stay idle; the party has not followed any criteria to select officials of various committees. The principle of ‘one person, one responsibility’ should be implemented from the level of party chairpersons to every rank and file of the party.
4.
Seniority
Chief ministers, ministers and mayors who are busy in their governmental responsibilities have been given the responsibility to lead provincial committees whereas many junior leaders and cadres of the party have been included in such structures, bypassing the senior ones. Some new members of the party who are yet to take the oath and who do not have any basic knowledge of Marxism have also made it to the committees. Such decisions should be probed and corrected. Those involved in such irregularities should be punished. If it cannot happen, it will promote autocracy and anarchy in the party.
5.
Row over the rank
I accepted the recent change of the ranks of party leaders and keeping Jhala Nath Khanal above me on the basis of the rank structure in the then CPN-UML after the ninth general convention. But, if the party is going to follow the rank structure on the basis of the previous structure, three vice-chairpersons and one deputy general secretary of the then CPN-UML are outside the party secretariat. The four leaders–Ashta Laxmi Shakya, Bhim Rawal, Yuba Raj Gyawali and Ghana Shyam Bhusal–should be made secretariat members.
6.
Leadership of sister wings
The recent meeting of the party’s secretariat has assigned junior members to lead youth, women, student and workers’ wings of the party. It has to be corrected.
7.
Government’s performance
The government led by the party chairman is not working on the basis of the party’s policies, decisions and plans. The government has failed to meet people’s expectations. The government should improve its performance. Otherwise, it will give a blow to the party.
