Impeachment divides Nepali Congress

KATHMANDU, Oct 22: Nepali Congress (NC) Central Working Committee members are sharply divided over the impeachment motion against Chief of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lokman Singh Karki.

An overwhelming majority of NC CWC members speaking during the ongoing CWC meeting on Friday suggested to the party leadership not to support the impeachment motion brought by the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center), while a few of them stood in favor of the impeachment motion.

Altogether 17 CWC members including Prakash Man Singh, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Ramesh Lekhak, Pharmullah Mansur, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Dilendra Prasad Badu, NP Saud, Dr Shekhar Koirala, Aananda Prasad Dhungana, Nabindra Raj Joshi, Kamala Panta, Ratna Sherchan, Pradip Paudel, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Devendra Raj Kandel, and Kiran Yadav had aired their views during the meeting.

According to leaders, all but Paudel had argued that the NC should not back impeachment motion against Karki as this was brought by UML and the Maoists without consulting the NC. They also argued that the party need not take any decision on the issue as a case against CIAA chief Karki is currently sub judice in the apex court.

However, CWC member Pradip Paudel had made a strong case for supporting impeachment motion against CIAA Chief Karki. "This is not the issue of Lokman Singh Karki alone. This should be seen in the light of current political developments. Although this has raised the possibility of emergence of a new leftist alliance, public opinion is also overwhelmingly against Karki," Paudel had argued for backing the impeachment motion against Karki.

Speaking on the occasion, CWC member Saud had argued that it is too early for the party to take any decision on the impeachment motion against Karki. "A case is already sub judice in the court. It is not appropriate to take any decision now," he had argued.

Likewise, CWC member Dr Koirala had said that although he opposed Karki at the time of his appointment as CIAA chief, it is not appropriate to back the impeachment motion now. He argued that impeachment motion against Karki is a part of conspiracy hatched by the main opposition party, UML.

Although party president Sher Bahadur Deuba had on Thursday asked all CWC members to put forth their views on the impeachment motion, some of the CWC members including Pharmullah Mansur, Ramesh Lekhak and Nabindra Raj Joshi did not dwell on the issue while speaking during Friday's meeting.

Earlier on Thursday, Deuba had said at the meeting that it is difficult to save Karki as he is acting in despotic and arbitrary manner exactly in the way the erstwhile Royal Commission acted under Gyanendra Shah's regime. The NC CWC meeting will resume on Monday.

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