Kavre meet breeds more Khanal foes

KATHMANDU, JUL 25 -

With some of his loyalists switching sides and his rival faction consolidating its strength, Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal is walking the tightrope in his party, especially after the Dhulikhel jamboree.

Unlike what he had expected, the conclave failed to patch up factional differences and keep intact the support he had been enjoying since the Butwal convention. Instead, the conclave led to a significant erosion of his command over the party. General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, who had been one of his key supporters, joined the KP Oli and Madhav Nepal faction and stood for curtailing the party chairman’s powers.

“Pokharel’s decision is a major setback for Khanal,” said a moderate UML leader. He said this development has made it difficult for Khanal to win the debate on whether to grant executive powers to the party chairman or adopt collective leadership as recommended by the Butwal convention.

General Secretary Pokharel, who was miffed with Khanal from the very beginning of the formation of this government, wants full responsibility and executive powers, which he has not been conferred with. He had started distancing himself from Khanal as early as when Khanal signed the seven-point deal with the Maoists keeping him in the dark and handed over the Home Ministry portfolio to the Maoists.

Aside from Pokhrel’s decision to switch sides, UML leaders say there are other developments that indicate Khanal could gradually fall into a minority in the party.

One new development, of which Khanal has grown wary, is that the proposal of the Oli-Nepal faction to go for a “collective leadership” is gaining momentum in the party. An endorsement of the proposal would mean a significant downsizing of the rights and responsibilities of the party chairman. During the conclave, most of the speakers criticised Khanal for not abiding by the spirit of democratic values and the party statute endorsed by the Butwal general convention. They all advocated switching over to “collective leadership.”

Given the demand of the party’s rank and file, it would not be a surprise if the upcoming meeting of the National Representatives’ Council slated to be held in the Capital in September decides to go for collective leadership and clip the chairman’s wings. The Council is the second most powerful body to decide allocation of powers to the leaders.

“Our faction dominated the Dhulikhel national conclave, and now it is time the party leadership learnt a lesson from kowtowing to the Maoists and tagged along the party’s guiding principle,” warned UML leader Karna Bahadur Thapa.

Meanwhile, Khanal is striving to keep intact his command in the party by pushing through a Chairman-friendly amendment of the party statute. He wants the amendment to confer special authority on the chairman to appoint at least 20 percent of the total members in the central committee and other tiers of the party, which his rivals say is a pipe dream.