Nepali Communist Party co-chair Madhav Kumar Nepal on Tuesday called on dissatisfied leaders and cadres of the CPN (UML) to join a broader communist unity process, speaking at a party unification announcement programme in Kathmandu. He urged party leaders and members to complete unification and organisational adjustments without delay, then focus immediately on election preparations. Nepal also said the CPN (UML) had been captured by an individual and appealed for wider unity and polarisation among communist forces.
Call for dissatisfied UML members
Nepal’s invitation to CPN (UML) leaders and cadres who are dissatisfied with their party was a central part of his appeal at the Kathmandu programme. He asked them to join the unity process, presenting communist unity as an effort that could extend beyond the parties involved in the announcement. His remarks did not identify the individual he said had captured the UML, nor did they specify which dissatisfied members he had in mind.
The appeal came as the Nepali Communist Party and the Nepal Communist Party announced a unification programme. Nepal framed the occasion as an opportunity to bring communist forces together and called for broader polarisation around the movement. The announcement programme provided the setting for his call to those outside the immediate unification process to consider joining it.
Nepal said attraction towards the communist movement was growing. On that basis, he urged leaders and cadres to work towards wider unity rather than treating the announcement as an endpoint. His remarks linked the immediate task of bringing party organisations together with a larger objective of drawing more people and political forces towards the communist movement.
Organisational work and election preparations
Alongside the appeal for unity, Nepal directed leaders and cadres to complete party unification and organisational adjustment. The instruction set out a sequence of priorities: finish the work of bringing the parties together, resolve the related organisational arrangements, and then turn attention immediately to elections.
The emphasis on organisational adjustment indicates that the unification process involves more than an announcement. Party leaders and cadres have been asked to complete the practical work required to align the organisations. Nepal did not provide details at the programme about particular posts, structures or deadlines for that work. His direction, as reported, was to complete the adjustment and move quickly to election preparation.
He did not specify an election date, identify a particular election or set out campaign plans in the remarks covered by the reports. Instead, he made election preparation an immediate priority once the unification and organisational work is completed. The instruction places the responsibility on party leaders and cadres to carry the process forward and prepare the organisation for the electoral task ahead.
A broader appeal for communist polarisation
Nepal’s comments combined an organisational message with a political appeal. The first concerned the work required within the newly announced unification process; the second called for a wider consolidation of communist forces, including dissatisfied members of the CPN (UML). He described the appeal in terms of unity and polarisation, while saying interest in the communist movement was increasing.
The remarks also underscored the tension between his call for wider cooperation and his criticism of the CPN (UML). Nepal’s assertion that the party had been captured by an individual was presented alongside an invitation for its dissatisfied leaders and cadres to join the unity process. He did not elaborate further on the allegation during the remarks reported from the programme.
For now, the direction to his own leaders and cadres is focused on completing unification and organisational adjustments before shifting immediately to election preparations. At the same time, Nepal’s appeal leaves open a broader invitation to communist leaders and members beyond the parties announcing their unification. He urged them to join the process as part of the effort to bring communist forces together.
