After the decision of CPN-UML Standing Committee meeting to oust 11 leaders from the party, senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has appealed to the public to join the campaign to end the KP Sharma Oli government’s totalitarianism and authoritarianism and protect democracy.

“It is now the responsibility of the people to sweep away the regressive Oli government through legal, political and street movements and establish rule of law in the country,” said Nepal in an appeal he issued via social media on Tuesday. “I would like to appeal to all the people to join the campaign to protect the constitution and democracy defeating the Oli government’s totalitarianism and authoritarianism.”

He also accused Oli of having completed his campaign to destabilize CPN-UML after so-called action taken against the leaders on Monday.

“KP Oli has established himself as a character to bring down the whole communist movement of the country in a regressive and traitorous act,” states the appeal.

He said Oli had weakened the party and started attacking his faction when they raised voice against Oli’s activities in the party.

As many as 26 lawmakers of the dissolved House of Representatives of the faction of the CPN-UML had signed the claim staked by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday to form the new government as per Article 76(5) of the constitution.

On Monday, 23 of them also signed the petition filed at the Supreme Court demanding that Deuba be made the new prime minister and the House of Representatives be reinstated after President Bidya Devi Bhandari disqualified Deuba’s claim and dissolved the House and called midterm elections for November 12 and 19.

“Due to Oli’s backing of middlemen, the organisation of CPN-UML gradually became weaker. Mediators and mafia continued to dominate over the groups of dedicated, committed and honest cadres,” Nepal said in the appeal. “When we raised our voices against such activities, Oli started to attack us. The so-called action or expulsion was the continuation of this.”

With Oli’s decision of Monday to strip 11 of the former lawmakers of the party’s membership and seek clarification from 12 others signing the petition, the CPN-UML is heading towards a formal split as the Nepal-Khanal faction is mulling registering a new party.

“We are now discussing to develop a new abode for us,” said Asta Laxmi Shakya, a Standing Committee member of UML, close to Nepal. “We have the responsibility to protect leaders and cadres who have been continuously supporting us despite the temptations and threats from those in power.”