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Former Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman Sharma Oli has said national interest could be served better with unity among all political parties.

All parties' unity counts for the country's territorial unity, independence and national interest.

Chairman Oli was speaking at a program organized to inaugurate the ward office building for Dodhara Chandani Municipality-6 of Kanchapur district.

"Unity is essential also for curbing corruption and taking action against those involved in financial sleaze," he underscored.

He argued that development activities could not move forward in absence of political concord. Oli further viewed the importance of public service is reflected on how effectively they are delivered to the people. "I take initiative to solve the problems facing the people here," the former Prime Minister vowed.

On the occasion, Mayor of Dodhara Chandani Municipality, Kishor Limbu, sought UML Chairman Oli's cooperation on resolving problems facing the local people.

"Mahakali River erosion is a severe problem here. Shuklaphanta Reserve creates obstruction on development activities," he said.

Meanwhile, Chairman Oli inspected the four-lane motorable bridge over the Mahakali River and the site where the dry port is proposed.

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the main opposition leader, CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, had a meeting on Friday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar. They discussed two important issues: the upcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Nepal and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Bill.

Guterres is scheduled to visit Nepal on Oct 29 and will address a joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Oct 31. Prime Minister Dahal aims to pass the transitional justice bill before Guterres’ arrival, but this requires the support of the main opposition. 

While there is agreement on most aspects of the bill, the major point of contention is the provision granting immunity to individuals accused of murder, considering murder as a human rights violation. The government is attempting to address issues related to murder through reconciliation. They plan to reclassify murder as a human rights violation rather than a serious crime, which has the support of the Congress and Maoists in the ruling coalition. However, UML has not accepted this change.

UML whip Mahesh Bartaula says they are open to reaching an agreement on the bill before the UN Secretary-General’s visit, but he accuses the government of creating tension instead of cooperation. “Prime Minister Dahal’s decision to grant a holiday on People’s War Day contributes to this tension,” he says.

A sub-committee under the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee has prepared a report on amending the ‘Bill to amend the Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Act’ through consensus over the past month and a half. Bartaula, a member of the sub-committee, says most issues have been resolved, except for the topic of reconciliation in cases of serious incidents like murder.

UML’s stance is to not use reconciliation to absolve individuals of murder except in cases of double confrontations. They argue that such cases should be prosecuted. 

The issue of child soldiers during the armed conflict is another concern. While an agreement refers to these children as “connected parties of the conflict”, UML believes this issue is being unnecessarily prolonged for political reasons and calls for additional discussions.

Chair of the Human Rights Committee and CPN (Maoist Center) leader Bimala Subedi expressed optimism that the bill will move forward, emphasizing the need for consensus to resolve this sensitive issue. She highlighted the importance of political-level consensus, as it’s a long-standing matter. 

Four issues remain to be discussed within the committee, and Subedi believes that a positive environment for resolution is now present, especially following the meeting between the Prime Minister and the main opposition leader. 

Prime Minister Dahal had previously attempted to pass this bill in time he went to the United Nations General Assembly—to no avail.

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma has come down heavily on the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led ruling coalition, likening it to a slow poison for the republic and questioning its commitment to democracy, the Constitution and its conduct of foreign relations. 

Oli launched a multi-pronged attack against the Dahal-led dispensation through his address to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, saying, “This government cannot administer one fatal dose (to democracy and the republican order). Nonetheless, it is acting as a slow poison for democracy and the Constitution. 

He accused the Dahal-led dispensation of suppressing the voices of the people and conspiring to render the Parliament useless by not giving businesses to the House and its committees. 

Oli went on to elaborate the characteristics of the dispensation thus, “While this government does not do what the Constitution has told it to do, it does what the Charter has barred it from doing—without fail”. 

Referring to the recent Cabinet decision to declare Fagun 1—the day the Maoist insurgency was waged 27 years ago (13 Feb 1996)—as a public holiday, the UML chair accused the government of glorifying violence through the move. The decision to celebrate the day has further hurt the sentiments of conflict victims, Oli said, demanding that the next Cabinet meeting withdraw the decision. 

He also protested the government move to grant blanket amnesty to criminals in the name of marking Constitution Day and turning the President into an entity that does the government’s bidding. 

Oli also took the government to task on ongoing investigations into corruption cases. The government opened Lalita Niwas scam files with much hullabaloo, now it is finding it hard to close them, Oli claimed, “The (60-kg) gold-smuggling case is also giving the government a hard time.” 

The government’s good governance campaign is actually aimed at shielding smugglers and murderers, he went on. 

This dispensation has appointed those candidates, who failed exams for district judges, as well as those who helped out election candidates from the ruling dispensation as judges, he maintained, adding that it is futile to hope for a better performance from this government. 

The conduct of diplomacy also came under Oli’s crosshairs as the latter blamed PM Dahal for failing to raise Nepal’s concerns during his recent visits to the United Nations, China and India.   

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has described party Vice-Chair Subash Chandra Nembang as not only his party Vice-Chair, but also a close friend and comrade-in-arms.

The UML Chair took to the social media in paying tributes to Nembang and wrote: "We will always remember the contribution he made for drafting the democratic constitution. Heartfelt condolences to a soft-spoken, polite and decent colleague Subash Nembang!"

Nembang succumbed to a heart attack at 1:40 am today while receiving treatment at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj. He was 71.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has demanded the formation of a high-level judicial commission to investigate the 100 kg gold smuggling case.

The investigation required a judicial commission to reach the root in the scam, said the former Prime Minister at a press conference organized here today in the party office.

It was not possible to smuggle the gold of such a big amount without the involvement of people in higher ranks, he claimed.  

In another context, Chair Oli blamed that the government arrested lawmaker Sunil Sharma in a fake academic certificate case in its attempt to lessen the protest against it.

The UML has been obstructing the Parliament demanding the formation of a high-level commission to investigate the gold smuggling.

A high-level team of Communist Party of China (CPC) and main opposition CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting on Tuesday.

A team led by Yuan Jiajun, who is also a politburo member and party secretary of Chongqing city held a meeting with Oli at the UML’s party office in Chyasal.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral interests of the two countries, communist party of the two countries and Chinese projects, according to a source.

They also discussed the reasons for the slow progress of BRI projects.

The team that arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday held separate meetings with President Ram Chandra Paudel, acting Prime Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (Maoist Center) leaders among others.

As Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was in Italy to take part in a program of the United Nations, the Chinese leaders held a virtual meeting with him.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli left for Cambodia.

A six-member team headed by Oli left for Cambodia last night to observe the election to be held there, informed UML Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam.

The delegation comprises Oli's spouse Radhika Shakya, party's deputy general secretary Bishnu Rimal, Oli's personal secretary Rajesh Bajhracharya.

Chair Oli is scheduled to return home on July 24.