KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has refuted Maoist Center Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)’s remark that the United States’ State Partnership Program (SPP) was initiated during his tenure.

Addressing a training program for UML-elected local representatives in Kathmandu on Friday, former Prime Minister Oli, objecting to Prachanda’s statement, clarified that SPP did not begin during his tenure as PM.

Oli claimed that the public was being misled by saying SPP was brought during his time.

“The decision to initiate SPP was taken by the then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala as the Minister of Defense on September 23, 2015, three days after the promulgation of the new constitution. Koirala then urged the US to allow Nepal to join the SPP through Nepali Army (NA),” Oli said.

Oli claimed that the NA had written to US pursuant to the decision made by Sushil Koirala as the Defense Minister.

“The ministerial decision had reached the NA Headquarters on September 30, 2015. The NA had written  to the US accordingly. We weren’t informed about it.”

“I was elected the Prime Minister on October 11, 2015. On October 27, Rajendra Chhetri was found to have written to the US Embassy requesting establishment of SPP on the basis of the ministerial decision.”

Oli said the letter to the US embassy ought to be written by the Ministry of Defense or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, not by the Chief of Army Staff.

“CoAS does not write such letter, it is the job of the defense ministry or the foreign ministry. It was found that Chief of Army Staff himself had written the letter. It was not told to me. It was kept under wraps.”

“Later after CPN-Maoist Center Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ became the Prime Minister, Rajendra Chhetri, on May 7, 2017, had again written to the US Army Pacific Command stating that the old matter had gone cold.”

Oli said he protested after his return to power when the Indo-Pacific strategy was debated in 2017. “Prachanda said SPP was initiated by KP Oli to create confusion. I urge comrades not to believe SPP was begun during my term.”