Former prime minister KP Sharma Oli was at his sarcastic best at the concluding session of the third Kantipur Conclave on Sunday evening.

The CPN-UML chairman spoke on a range of issues like contemporary Nepali politics, federalism, diplomatic relations, Nepal’s ‘pointed’ map and youth leadership.

“In America, the president is not made via mandamus but elections. But in Nepal, we don’t know when and from where the prime minister is appointed,” Oli said while referring to Deuba’s re-appointment as prime minister in July 2021 via a Supreme Court order.

Speaking in the session on ‘Policy, order and politics’ (Niti, Thiti and Rajniti), Oli satirically spoke of how the appointment of a Nepali prime minister is a matter of mystery in the absence of a mature political system in the country.

“America has a system in which a president serves for [a maximum of] eight years. Nepal lacks any kind of system. Sher Bahadur Deuba became prime minister five times, but he may not have run the government for even four years in total,” he said.

Oli was responding to a question by Umesh Chauhan, Editor of Kantipur national daily, on why the same set of leaders time and again came to power in Nepal. “So it is wrong to say that Nepali leaders continue to endlessly hold on to power when they are not even allowed to run the country properly.”

He also questioned the ‘overemphasis’ on youth leadership, arguing that experience counts in politics as much as it does in any other field.

“Would you appoint as editor someone with no experience [in journalism] just because you want to promote youth?” he questioned Chauhan.

Oli also challenged the media to find out the real identity of ‘M Adhikari’ of UML’s Finance and Planning Department. He accused the ruling parties of bringing up the topic of M Adhikari to conceal the wrongdoings of Finance Minister Janardan Sharma during budget-preparation. Members of the ruling parties suspect the person in the UML committee to be Maha Prasad Adhikari, the central bank governor.

“Search for M Adhikari. If you cannot find him in the dark, I will buy the batteries to power your torchlight,” he said.

Meanwhile, Oli questioned the rise of the independent parties and candidates. He said the success of a few independent candidates didn’t herald a systemic change and the task of national development is still by and large in the hands of established political parties.

Oli claimed that his 52 appointments to various constitutional bodies as prime minister were legitimate, even though he had to do so through an ordinance.

“My government appointed the 52 people in question to vacant positions in constitutional bodies. We did not forcefully remove anyone. Respected Supreme Court [where the issue is pending] should also understand it.”

Speaking at the event, Oli also said that had the EPG (Eminent Persons Group on Nepal-India relations) report been submitted while he was the prime minister, he would have gladly received it.

“EPG was formed by me and [Narendra] Modi ji. But somehow a provision was later inserted whereby the report would be first submitted to the Indian prime minister and only then to the Nepali prime minister,” he said. “So my hands were tied.”

The EPG was formed in January 2016 when Oli was the prime minister. The goal behind the formation of the joint Nepal-India mechanism of experts was to elicit recommendations for the review of the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.