Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that his party will not cling to power at the cost of national interest.

Addressing a function organised by the CPN-UML’s foreign affairs department on Monday, the prime minister emphasised that Nepal remains mindful of its geopolitical location, adding that the party will never compromise to gain or hold on to power, nor will it make decisions merely to remain in power on the pretext of geopolitics.

“If we don’t take a position on the national interest and always blame geopolitics, then that is called cowardice, not geopolitics,” Oli said. “Geopolitics means being clever while protecting the national interest, playing it safe, and staying balanced and committed to national interests. Geopolitics is about protecting national interests.”

The prime minister, who is also a former foreign minister, claimed that his party, the UML, will never compromise on national interests.

“If someone goes against the interest of the country, compromises to remain in power, and takes decisions that harm national interests, that cannot be our policy,” he told his party’s lawmakers. “At least we do not engage in such immoral acts.”

On neighbourhood relations, the prime minister said that Nepal should clearly articulate its positions and views with both neighbours while adhering to a non-aligned foreign policy.

“Our foreign policy priority starts with our neighbouring countries. We complicated our relations with both India and China by not talking in a clear and transparent manner. Instead, we played many internal games in the name of foreign relations,” said the prime minister.

“Our relations with neighbours are not inherently complex, but certain elements played different games in the name of power and retaining power, which went against national interests. They made petty issues more important than the national interest, that’s why our relations with neighbours became complicated. But we need to simplify them.”

He also stressed that diplomacy should be subtle and not overly complicated.

“The government has given top priority to the protection of national interests,” Oli said. “We also uphold justifiable international obligations while safeguarding national interests.”

Speaking on the occasion, he said Nepal is promoting and pursuing a balanced and positive economic diplomacy.

On the same day, CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel claimed that there was a geopolitical manoeuvring against the UML leadership to prevent it from becoming a national force from the 2027 elections.

Writing on Facebook, Pokharel said that after the Nepali Congress and the UML decided to contest the upcoming elections independently, without forging alliances, attacks against the UML have increased. But he did name the forces involved in these activities.

“Some smaller political parties in Nepal, perhaps driven by political frustration or acting as vehicles of social anarchy, are attacking the UML leadership,” said the general secretary.

Such tendencies are hazardous for the people and the nation, he wrote.

“Nepal, which lies in a sensitive geopolitical location, cannot protect its independence and dignity without a strong state. Moreover, a strong state is necessary for development and prosperity. To achieve this, we need strong political parties and the UML is fit and capable of achieving these goals,” said Pokharel.

According to him, the UML is under a cyber attack aimed at weakening the party. The UML general secretary said that the flood of misinformation and disinformation was designed to undermine the UML and prevent it from becoming a strong national force.