Nepal: Prachanda holds meeting without Oli

New Delhi: The China-brokered peace deal between Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” encountered severe turbulence as Nepal Communist Party (NCP) executive chairperson Prachanda unilaterally convened a meeting of the powerful standing committee at the premier’s official residence in Kathmandu in Oli’s absence.The 45-member standing committee of NCP was scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning, but the meeting was postponed for the ninth time. However, in a dramatic move Prachanda convened the meeting in the absence of the PM. Standing committee members close to Oli did not attend the meeting.Oli had postponed the meeting without consulting Prachanda, ET has learned. About 25 standing committee members were present in the meeting. The two factions have hardened their positions once again. The Dahal faction is now demanding that Oli resign as party chair. Oli, however, has threatened to take stern steps if he is pressed to stepping down.Earlier, NCP vice chairman Bam Dev Gautam suggested a “middle path” approach to address the conflict between Oli and Prachanda.Gautam proposed that Oli be allowed to stay as PM for the remaining term of the House of Representatives, that is two and a half years, and chairman of the party until the unity general convention that Oli has proposed to hold by mid-December. Besides, he said, Prachanda should be given the responsibility as the NCP chairman with all executive powers until the unity general convention of the NCP is held.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/3faqVUv