Nepal PM Oli expelled from ruling party by rival 'Prachanda' faction

The splinter faction of the Nepal Communist Party, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, on Sunday expelled the country’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from general membership of the party on the grounds of anti-party activities, deepening the political crisis in Nepal.

Oli, known for his pro-China leanings, no longer holds even simple membership of Nepal Communist Party (NCP), according to spokesperson of the faction, Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

The NCP faction took the decision during a Standing Committee meeting, attended by ex-prime ministers Prachada and Madhav Kumar Nepal, after Oli failed to explain his recent “anti-party” moves, said Ganesh Shah, a senior standing committee member of the party.

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In December, the splinter group had removed 68-year-old Oli, one of the two chairmen of the ruling party, as the co-chair. Madhav Nepal was named as the party’s second chairman. Prachanda is the first chairman of the party.

The Prachanda-led faction on January 15 sought clarification from Oli alleging that he was carrying out activities that go against the party policies. It decided to remove Oli even from ordinary membership of NCP after he chose not to furnish any clarification, sources said.

Oli had been accused of violating party statute by the splinter group. There is a provision of disciplinary action in party’s Constitution in case of public activities against the party’s principles, programs, policies and legal system, factionalism and conspiracy within the party, violation of party decision, lack of loyalty and trust in the party, breach of confidentiality, according to party sources.

The latest political development came two days after NCP’s splinter faction led a massive anti-government rally, saying the “unconstitutional” dissolution of the Parliament by PM Oli has posed serious threats to the country’s hard-earned federal democratic republic system.

Prachanda had said last week that by dissolving the House, PM Oli has given a blow to the Constitution as well as the democratic republic system which has been established in the country through seven decades of struggle by the people.

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Madhav Nepal, who last month replaced Oli as the chairman of the party by Prachanda-led faction, said the Constitution has not given rights to the PM to dissolve the Parliament.

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, in a surprise move dissolved Parliament, amidst a power tussle with Prachanda. His move to dissolve the 275-member House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda.

Oli, who is the chairperson of a faction of the NCP, has said he was forced to dissolve the House after knowing the Prachanda-led faction was planning to file a no-confidence motion against him and introduce an impeachment motion against President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

A petition was filed at the Supreme Court on Sunday to verify the authenticity of the notice published in Nepal Gazette regarding the dissolution of the House of Representatives.

(With inputs from agencies)