CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has accused the CPN (Maoist Centre) of promoting political instability and being influenced by foreign power centres. The leader of the main opposition termed newly emerged parties as populist forces and claimed that they cannot be alternatives to the older parties.

Oli made this observation in his political document presented at the central committee meeting that commenced at the party office in Lalitpur on Thursday.

In his analysis of the results of recent political events and the elections, Oli explained how the Maoist Centre succumbed to the designs of the Nepali Congress in the presidential elections by deceiving the UML and foiling his plan to chart out a ‘new political course’ for the country.

“Due to its extreme opportunism and influence of various power centres, we failed to stop the Maoist Centre from plunging into the crevasse of rightist opportunism,” Oli stated in his 17-page document. “The political dishonesty of the Maoist Centre and its unstable nature and opportunism has set back national politics by years.”

The former prime minister also said the rise of newer parties and the expansion of rightist forces in the recent elections called for serious introspections but claimed that the parties devoid of plans and programmes to address the country’s problems cannot provide a sustainable political alternative.

“Populism’s limit is that it can effectively raise problems and weaknesses related to the existing system and channel people’s frustrations but it cannot provide solutions,” said Oli. “But these forces could sometimes be influenced by foreign power centres against established systems and create social anarchy.”

“Therefore, by minutely analysing the class and political economy of populism and its role, we should develop a new perspective on these forces,” Oli said. “Then, we should focus on areas where these forces are trying to establish themselves.”

He also stated that the representation of a dozen parties in the House, a strong presence of those who stand against the fundamental issues of the constitution and the rise of populist forces suggest that political instability and uncertainty are going to rise in the days ahead.

The main goal of the central committee meeting, held after a gap of almost a year, is to evaluate the party’s ‘mission grassroots campaign’. The two-month-long drive that aimed at assessing the strength of the party and getting feedback from local party workers and people concluded last month.

As the youths are increasingly attracted to newer forces, party leaders have suggested that the top leadership should try to address the issues of the young generation through its annual work plan.

“One important observation of the grassroots mission is low youth participation [in the party’s activities]. Therefore, the leaders reporting on the mission have suggested increasing the participation of youths aged 18-35 years,” said Prithvi Subba Gurung, deputy general secretary and chief of the publicity department, at the press conference organised to make the details of the first-day meeting public.

In his political document, Oli also accused the ruling coalition of practising undemocratic activities.

Oli, who used a nationalist plank to elevate the UML to the rank of the biggest party in the 2017 general elections held after the promulgation of the constitution in 2015, also blamed the current ruling coalition for deviating from a course of balanced foreign policy.

“The concerns of foreign powers in our country’s internal politics have heavily increased,” Oli said in his document. “Unnecessary and inappropriate interferences are being felt in coalition-formation, while electing people in major constitutional bodies and even drafting laws.”

In his document presented at the 348-strong central committee, Oli also charged the ruling coalition with trying to stealthily push Nepal towards an unnamed power.

“With no attempts to resolve border disputes with India, the government has been ignoring the agreements on various projects signed with China,” Oli stated in his political document.

To celebrate the 75th birth anniversary of the party, according to Oli, the UML will organise an international conference of communist parties, labour parties and leftist forces on the creative use of Marxism, inviting foreign parties to share their experiences.