KATHMANDU — CPN (UML) Central Committee member Arbind Singh has sharply criticized his party’s political course, saying leadership complacency has become the root cause of the organization’s ongoing crisis.
Speaking at the Central Committee meeting on Friday, Singh said the UML’s renewed call for parliament restoration lacks moral legitimacy since the party itself had dissolved the House of Representatives twice in the past.
“We ourselves dissolved parliament twice. If we now take to the streets demanding its restoration, people will either laugh at us or resent us,” Singh said. “The policy of boycotting elections is simply another way of preparing for confrontation. The only option is to acknowledge our mistakes and face the public.”
Questions Over Political Strategy and Leadership
Singh argued that the political directive adopted at the recent party statute convention, which described UML as “resilient and determined,” failed within 24 hours of its endorsement. “How can we move forward for five years carrying a failed strategy?” he asked, accusing the leadership of encouraging analyses meant only to please the top brass.
“Our assessments are not objective. Saying only what the leadership wants to hear will not correct us—it will push us further toward decline,” he warned. Referring to the violent events of Bhadra 23–24 (September 8–9), Singh said the UML cannot escape responsibility when both party and state power were in its hands.
“The destruction on the 24th was a direct reaction to the massacre of the 23rd, which involved infiltration and external influence,” he said. “Labeling the incidents as a foreign conspiracy to hide our own failures is a superficial review. A detailed and objective investigation is essential,” Singh added.
Concerns Over Corruption and Accountability
Singh raised strong concerns about corruption and misconduct among party officials. “More than a dozen individuals face serious allegations, yet the party has never institutionally investigated them. Will we ever address this?” he asked.
He noted that public anger is now directed less at the UML as a whole and more at party chair KP Sharma Oli and his inner circle. “To safeguard the party’s future, leadership must accept this reality and open the way for change,” Singh stated.
He also cited the leadership crisis in the UML student wing, ANNFSU, as a symptom of broader dysfunction. “The fact that a newly appointed ANNFSU president could not last even a day before resigning—and that the same leadership is being reinstated—shows how far we have drifted,” he said.
Call for Inclusion of Former President Bidhya Bhandari
Singh expressed frustration that in the past four years, only a few central members have been allowed to speak for even three minutes during meetings. “Your public speeches outside the party are meaningless when genuine discussion is restricted inside,” he told party office bearers.
Concluding his remarks, Singh called for former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to renew her party membership and reengage in UML activities in an advisory role.
