KATHMANDU: Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ returned to Nepal on Sunday after completing a three-day visit to Sri Lanka.
He landed at Tribhuvan International Airport at around 3:30 pm after departing Sri Lanka earlier in the day.
Following his return, Prachanda is expected to hold talks with Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa on the future of provincial governments.
According to the secretariats of both leaders, Prachanda and Thapa had met last Tuesday before Prachanda left for Colombo. Although the discussions were described as positive, they did not reach a final conclusion, prompting plans for another meeting either on Sunday or Monday.
The Nepali Congress has already decided not to continue its cooperation with the CPN-UML in provincial governments. As an alternative, discussions are underway on the possibility of forming provincial governments with the NCP.
Provincial leaders are awaiting a decision from the central leadership before moving ahead with any new political arrangement.
“We may have a meeting between party president Gagan Thapa and Coordinator Prachanda today or tomorrow. Only after that will a decision be made on the way forward,” Nepali Congress General Secretary Guru Ghimire said. “We are discussing ending cooperation with the UML, but a formal decision is yet to be taken.”
Speaking at a public event on Sunday, Thapa said a three-party alliance involving the Nepali Congress, the NCP and the UML would not move forward, indicating that discussions could instead focus on a possible partnership between the Nepali Congress and the NCP.
Ramesh Malla, a close aide to Prachanda and a member of the House of Representatives, said the NCP has assumed a guiding role following the breakdown of cooperation between the Nepali Congress and the UML. He added that while the party is not in a hurry to join provincial governments, it is prepared to take responsibility if the evolving political situation requires it.
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