Kathmandu, Dec. 7: The political documents submitted separately by the co-chairmen of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) were tabled at the party’s Standing Committee meeting on Sunday for further discussion and resolution of the intra-party feud.The Standing Committee meeting held under the convenorship of NCP co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at party headquarters Dhumbarahi distributed copies of both political documents to the Standing Committee members for study.
However, Prime Minister Oli skipped the meeting claiming that the political document presented by the co-chair Prachanda cannot be discussed formally in the Standing Committee meeting.“The co-chair PM Oli didn’t attend today’s meeting of the Standing Committee,” party spokesperson and Secretariat member Narayan Kaji Shrestha told reporters after Sunday’s meeting at Dhumbarahi.In his letter to the party’s Standing Committee, PM Oli has repeated his demand to withdraw the political proposal submitted by co-chair Prachanda, which he has been terming as an allegation paper.
Reading out PM Oli’s letter, Deputy Prime Minister and party Secretariat member Ishwor Pokharel informed the Standing Committee that he would be unable to attend the meeting, Shrestha said.Through the letter, PM Oli strongly refuted the proposal tabled by Prachanda and asserted that he cannot join the meeting if the same proposal is tabled in the Standing Committee meeting.In the letter, Oli repeated his stance that Dahal should withdraw his political proposal unconditionally.PM Oli mentioned in the letter that the provisional party committees should run on the basis of consensus until the party holds the unity convention.
Stating that NCP was endowed with high potential but now facing a big crisis, the PM said this crisis was not because of the external factor but due to the hunger of power among few leaders who wanted to change leadership outside of the general convention and government outside of election.
PM Oli also suggested that the Standing Committee meeting should discuss finalizing the pending works of party unification, making preparation for the party’s upcoming general convention and working toward better response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He also expressed his commitment that he wanted to keep the party unity intact and run the party on the basis of consensus.
Standing committee member and Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali said the copies of both political documents of the co-chairmen were distributed among the Standing Committee members.The next Standing Committee meeting would take place after seven days on December 13, said Minister Gyawali, adding that the time was given to the Standing Committee members to study both the documents.Shrestha further added that today’s meeting had also set the agenda for the Standing Committee meeting, which will focus on sorting out the intra-party feud.
Shrestha also informed that in today’s meeting Chairman Prachanda put forth his view.Stating that a serious crisis had emerged in the party, Prachanda asked all the leaders and Standing Committee members to sort out the current crisis and keep the party unity intact through serious discussions.Prachanda had submitted his19-page proposal in the 70th Secretariat meeting of the party on November 13, while another Chairman PM Oli submitted his proposal in the meeting held on November 28.
In his document, Prachanda has charged the government of being involved in scores of corruption cases and failing to fulfill electoral promises. He also accused PM Oli for being autocratic.Following this, PM Oli presented his separate political document rejecting all the allegations made by ‘Prachanda.’PM Oli rejected his proposal as a charge sheet full of lies and misinformation. He accused Prachanda of sheltering factionalism within the party.
After the powerful 9-member party Secretariat failed to take a call on the political proposal separately registered by party co-chair Prachanda and PM Oli, it decided to send them to party’s Standing Committee for discussion and resolution of the intra-party feud.Instead of discussing the two proposals, PM Oli on Saturday’s one-on-one meeting with Prachanda had proposed to prepare a joint political document with the consent of both chairmen.
A powerful faction led by chairman Prachanda, which is backed by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal, has alleged PM Oli of undermining the party’s norms and system while running the government.They have been raising question on the incumbent government’s performance, asking him to quit one of the two posts.
The faction led by PM Oli has been asking to reconcile the intra-party feud on the basis of consensus until it holds the unity convention.
