KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that the decision to abolish Nepal’s monarchy was made in direct response to a challenge issued by then CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli.
Speaking at a program held in Kathmandu on Friday, Nepal recounted a pivotal moment in 2006 when the UML was debating whether to embrace republicanism.
Oli, who opposed the idea at the time, reportedly mocked the plan by likening it to “trying to reach Washington on an ox cart”, implying that the movement to overthrow the monarchy was futile.
“I want to remind everyone — in 2006, the then CPN-UML made a decision to bring down the monarchy and move ahead with a republican agenda,” Nepal said. “Some within the party said it was impossible, that the goal was unreachable. One even said, ‘You can’t topple the king through a movement, just like you can’t reach Washington on an ox cart.’ We accepted that challenge. We said, ‘You can keep opposing, but we will bring down the monarchy.’ And we did.”
Nepal’s comments appeared to be aimed at both recounting historical turning points and defending the relevance of his current party, the CPN (Unified Socialist), which split from the UML in 2021.
He also expressed discontent with critics who have been questioning the future of his party.
“Some people are spreading negativity about our party. Some say it has no future, that it won’t last,” he said. “Such naysayers always appear in every period. Not everyone has the same level of faith or self-confidence.”
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