KATHMANDU: Amid growing claims of leadership interference in the parliamentary party leader selection of CPN-UML, lawmaker Ain Mahar has defended the party leadership, saying the internal environment did not progress to the stage of formal candidacy.
Speaking during discussions at Wednesday’s meeting, Mahar rejected allegations that conditions were deliberately created to prevent young leader Suhang Nembang from securing a proposer and seconder for his candidacy.
A joint meeting of the UML parliamentary party and central office bearers held at the party’s Chyasal headquarters unanimously selected Ram Bahadur Thapa as the parliamentary party leader. Nembang had staked a claim for the post, but according to Mahar, the situation never reached the point of an electoral contest.
Mahar, who is also a UML central committee member, said discussions had included the possibility of going to an election. However, he maintained that circumstances changed before the nomination process could formally begin.
“Various narratives are being spread to criticize the UML leadership, but the internal environment was not like that,” Mahar said. “There were discussions about selecting the leader through consensus or even through an election. Nomination forms were distributed, but by the time it came to assigning proposers and seconders, the situation did not lead to an election.”
He added that even if an election had taken place, the outcome would have been acceptable to the party. Mahar insisted that Nembang could have found supporters if he had firmly pushed for a contest.
“If Suhang had insisted on contesting the election, he would have found a proposer and seconder. Even I would have supported him if he had asked,” Mahar said, emphasizing that contesting elections is a democratic right but the process did not advance to that stage.
Mahar also noted that Nembang himself congratulated Thapa after his unanimous selection, indicating that he was not under pressure and had voluntarily stepped back from pursuing the election process. He admitted, however, that the party had not been able to clearly communicate these internal dynamics to the public.
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