KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli has remained adamant of not withdrawing the ordinance unless Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his team withdrew the signatures demanding a special parliamentary session sent to the President’s Office, Shital Niwas.
PM Oli put forth this condition during a one-on-one meeting with Dahal at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar this afternoon.
The two leaders were engaged in a discussion on the withdrawal of the ordinance before a meeting of the NCP Standing Committee at Baluwatar.
During the meeting, Prachanda had urged PM Oli to withdraw the ordinance immediately, party sources said.
PM Oli told Prachanda to demand a special session from the President after withdrawing the signature, party sources said.
Meanwhile, Prachanda had earlier today rejected the PM Oli’s proposal to postpone the meeting of the Standing Committee.
NCP’s disgruntled camp of five – Prachanda, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, Bam Dev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha – which has been alleging PM Oli of being imperious had earlier warned of taking a stern step against Oli.
Prachanda has labeled the government’s step of bringing the ordinance “unconstitutional” which he said came with a vengeance demanding its withdrawal.
Standing Committee member Subas Nembang said two chairmen held one-on-one meeting to reach consensus on the ordinance and the other issues related to intra-party dispute.
Prachanda went to meet PM Oli after the latter did not attend the scheduled meeting at 1 pm today.
The intra-party dispute of the ruling NCP has deepened further after Prime Minister Oli on Tuesday introduced an ordinance to appoint officer bearers to the vacant posts in the constitutional bodies.
Oli took to the ordinance after Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota did not turn up in the meeting on yesterday morning.
According to the ordinance on the Constitutional Council, three members including the prime minister can take decision on the appointment to the vacant posts of the constitutional bodies.
Oli has been under fire after the government brought the ordinance haphazardly on Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier, five members including the Prime Minister were required for the quorum in the CC meeting as per the constitutional provision.
Currently, 46 posts are lying vacant in the constitutional bodies.
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