The duel within the Nepal Communist Party

In Nepal's political culture, leaders never retire because politics has paid them well.

The duel between Prime Minister KP Oli and his co-chair in the Nepal Communist Party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, intensified in November with Dahal accusing Oli of perfidy, insubordination, incompetence, corruption, egotism and hubris. In response, Oli characterised the co-chair as lazy, conniving, corrupt, untrustworthy and devoid of conscience and moral compass. The exchange is beyond the cut and thrust of normal power politics and included accusations of criminal behaviour.