Three-time Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been elected the chair of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) for a third successive term, defeating his only rival by over twice the number of votes.

It is strange that Oli, who has had a patchy record both in governing the country and in running his own party, should be elected again and again to lead the UML, a big moderate leftist force in Nepal.

While running the country as prime minister, Oli was involved in such dubious things as dissolving an elected parliament, not once but twice. Corruption flourished under his watch. Moreover, he is still under investigation for the suppression of the Gen Z protests (during which 77 people died) in early September this year.

As party chair, he has over the years systematically sidelined possible opponents and stifled dissent. He is notorious for his mockery of political opponents in and outside the party. Nor is he averse to cultivating goons, supposedly........

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