KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Central Committee (CC) member and Press Advisor to Prime Minister Surya Thapa has floated the idea of suspending UML leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bhim Rawal from the CC for six months in order to run a nationwide party cleansing campaign.

Penning a Facebook post on Saturday, Thapa said there was no alternative to suspending the two leaders to strengthen and unite the UML.

He remarked that leaders, who were earlier elated when action was taken against Chairman and Prime Minister Oli and other leaders of Oli faction, had today turned into advocates of unity. He has questioned leader Nepal as to why he was still colluding with Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.

The Nepal-Dahal faction of the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had initiated action party Co-chair Oli, General Secretary Bishnu Poudel, Mahesh Basnet, Prabhu Shah, among others. They had also revoked Oli’s membership of the party at the time.

Thapa stated that the Nepal-Dahal faction had exhausted all their options from December 20, 2020 to March 7, 2021.  Reminding the deeds of the faction, Thapa said they now were subject to people’s resentment.

Nevertheless, Thapa has welcomed anyone who accepts PM Oli’s March 7 decisions and does not have pre-conditions to join the party.