KATHMANDU: The Secretariat meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is taking place at Baluwatar today.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is, however, not likely to take part in the Secretariat meeting scheduled for this afternoon.
Both heavyweights Prime Minister Oli and NCP Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have not budged an inch from their respective stances.
Even though the second-rung leaders intensified their efforts to narrow down the differences by postponing the meeting for two days, they could not achieve the positive results.
Due to the stances of Oli and Dahal, the informal meetings on Friday did not strike any chords. The intra-party dispute of the ruling NCP has taken a new height after Oli and Dahal-Nepal factions came up with separate political dossiers levelling serious accusations against each other, of late.
The meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on December 2 was postponed around 20 minutes after it started.
Prime Minister KP Oli and Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, however, abstained from the meeting.
Five members of the Secretariat — NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal, Vice President Bam Dev Gautam, and party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha — had met and discussed issues at the residence of NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Khumaltar.
Earlier in the Secretariat meetign held on Tuesday, Prime Minister Oli, who is also the chairman of the NCP, had demanded postponement of the Secretariat meeting for 10 days.
Oli had bought the time to narrow down differences through informal meetings and dialogues before holding the meeting.
Secretariat members, however, took strong exception to Oli’s demand arguing that there is no reason to stall the meeting. Oli then had said he would not be present in Wednesday’s meeting, according to a Secretariat member.
Oli and Executive Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda got involved in heated discussions during a Secretariat meeting held on last Tuesday.
At the beginning of the meeting on last Tuesday, Oli said that the discussion could not take place arguing that the proposal by Prachanda was not a political report, but accusations against him.
Prachanda responded by saying that the Prime Minister doesn’t have the right to stop discussions on his political dossier. After that, Oli tried to rule by saying to stay within the limits and dignity.
In recent months, the ruling NCP has witnessed an intra-party dispute over the appointment of ambassadors, a Cabinet reshuffle, a dispute in Karnali Province, a vendetta among party cadres in Tarai districts, RAW Chief’s meeting with PM Oli.
Comment