Dahal meets Prime Minister KP Oli

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 31

Co-chair of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who had been declining the other party Co-chair and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s invite for talks of late, went to the PM’s official residence today and proposed to convene the party Secretariat meeting to discuss political issues.

A source said Dahal proposed the meeting to discuss all current issues, but a date for the meeting was yet to be fixed.

Dahal, who had recently patched up differences with the PM, yet again locked horns with him over some political issues. He had been declining Oli’s invite for talks for almost 12 days.

This week, PM Oli sent different interlocutors to Dahal in a bid to win his confidence.

PM Oli also reached out to another senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Dahal is miffed at Oli for acting unilaterally on issues related to the no trust motion registered against Karnali Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, the Cabinet reshuffle, delay in registering FIR against those accused of murdering NCP cadre Mukesh Chaurasiya of Parsa district and the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Dahal faction is also unhappy with the PM for meeting India’s Research and Analysis Wing Chief Samant Goel recently.

The NCP Standing Committee had recently decided that PM Oli would have a free hand with the day-today government work, but would have to consult the party and abide by its decisions on policy issues, including political and constitutional appointments.

Standing Committee member Lila Mani Pokharel said the PM had ignored the Standing Committee decisions on the Cabinet reshuffle, appointment of ambassadors and issues to be discussed in the party committees. “When the two co-chairs cannot agree on any political issue, the only option for them is to take the issues to the party Secretariat and Standing Committee,” Pokharel said, adding that the PM did not honour the Standing Committee decision when he issued circulars to party committees.

Recently, Oli and Dahal issued separate press statements on their views about resolving dissatisfaction in the party’s Karnali committee and the government.

Eighteen NCP lawmakers of Karnali Province had registered a no-trust motion against Karnali CM Mahendra Bahadur Shahi. The Dahal faction had accused Karnali Province lawmakers who were close to PM Oli of registering the no-trust motion against Shahi at Oli’s behest.

A source said Dahal was upset with Oli for taking unilateral decisions in violation of the party’s Standing Committee decisions.

“Dahal has realised his effort in last two years to settle issues with the PM has not been successful. Dahal therefore wants all issues to be settled by the party committees,” the source added.

He said Oli’s decision to dictate issues in Karnali Province would have ripple effects in other provinces.

The source said Oli’s attempt to impose his will on Karnali Province government would only embolden party rebels in the province who had targeted Shahi.

NCP Deputy Parliamentary Party Leader Subas Chandra Nembang said Oli had not acted unilaterally or against the spirit of the party’s Standing Committee on any of the issues raised by leaders close to Dahal.

He said the PM was ready to replace most Cabinet members but he chose to appoint only three new ministers recently as Oli and Dahal were yet to iron out some issues. He said the PM wanted to induct some senior NCP leaders in the Cabinet, but as Dahal was not ready for that, the PM decided to replace only three ministers hoping to make a major Cabinet reshuffle after Tihar festival.

“The PM had already told some Cabinet members to make way for others, but later decided to retain them as per Dahal’s wishes,”

Nembang said. He said the PM met Goel, who was sent by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special envoy. “Dahal has no objection to the PM’s meeting Goel. He told me he had not spoken against the meeting,”

Nembang said and added that party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha had gone out of the way to demand a party Secretariat meeting on the issue. He said if the two co-chairs felt the need, they would call party Secretariat meeting but before agreeing on a date, the co-chairs would hold discussion again.

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