Will NCP Secretariat meet narrow down differences?

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Oli, who is looking for ways to secure his positions as the Prime Minister and Nepal Communist Party Chairman, faces a meeting of the party Secretariat at 5 pm today.

PM Oli has been under continuous criticism for the last 10 days as he issued two controversial ordinances one-sidedly last Monday.

He responded to the demand of the disgruntled party leaders, particularly from the senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal-led group, to convene the Secretariat meeting on Wednesday.

In fact, PM Oli agreed to hold the meeting after holding talks with NCP Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday afternoon.

During a meeting with Dahal, PM Oli is learned to have told the former that he has come under ‘attacks’ from all sides of late.

Today’s Secretariat meeting is expected to narrow down the differences among the party leaders.

“If not, we will pressurize the leadership to convene the meeting of the Standing Committee at the earliest,” Bedu Ram Bhusal, a Standing Committee member said.

It should be noted that 20 Standing Committee party members have already asked PM Oli to convene the Standing Committee meeting at the earliest.

“He is well-aware of the fact that the dissatisfied faction was prepared to oust him from Baluwatar or even from the party Chairman if he did not mend his ways,” a leader said.

Earlier, PM Oli had asked his confidantes to remain ‘alert and prepared’ to face any circumstances as the ‘opponents’ could go any extent to oust him.

He has been constantly in touch with leaders close to him in a bid to regain control over the party.

Senior leader Nepal and other leaders are dissatisfied with PM Oli’s performance as both the party Chairman and the Prime Minister.

“PM Oli missed the chance. He could have done a lot if he had the zeal. But he proved to be self-centered,” Bhusal said.

Meanwhile, party senior leader Nepal is adamant that a policy of ‘one person, one post’ should be implemented within the party.

The party is waiting for today’s meeting whether it will help narrow down the differences within the party.