Nepal PM Oli skips standing committee meeting citing differences with Prachanda
Dec 06, 2020
Kathmandu [Nepal], December 7 : Nepal Prime Minister and Chairman of ruling Nepal Communist Party has replied to party's standing committee meeting that he won't be able to attend the meeting to discuss on prevailing issues.
Sending a two-page letter to the standing committee meeting on Sunday afternoon, PM Oli expressed his unwillingness to come to party office for standing committee meeting where he has been losing his majority.
"In today's (Sunday) meeting, Chairman KP Sharma Oli remained absent. Giving a reason to his absence, he sent a letter addressing the meeting. The letter was read out by Secretariat member Ishwor Pokhrel formally informing the meeting about it. Oli has reiterated his earlier opinion stating that Prachanda's (Pushpa Kamal Dahal) proposal cannot be discussed in the meeting formally. Oli has cited this reason for not being able to attend the meeting," Narayan Kaji Shrestha, spokesperson for ruling Nepal Communist Party told reporters on Sunday.
In the letter, Oli has reiterated his previous stance that Dahal should withdraw his political proposal tabled in the Secretariat without any pre-conditions. Furthermore, Oli accused Dahal of working towards the dissolution of the party by tabling an "allegation paper" against him.
"I suggest that the Standing Committee meeting should discuss finalising the pending works relating to the party unification, making preparations for the party's upcoming general convention and working toward a better response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Oli mentioned in the letter.
Oli expressed his determination that he wants to keep the party unity intact and run the party based on consensus.
"The ongoing intra-party crisis must be resolved through dialogue and the party should remain united as there are just four months left to hold the first general convention of the party. The question of leadership change in the party can be well settled through the general convention," the Prime Minister stated.
The Standing Committee meeting of ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was called on for Sunday afternoon at Party Head Office in Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu. It was scheduled to hold deliberation on the proposals tabled earlier by the chairmen duo KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Earlier on November 28, PM Oli had presented a 38-page long rebuttal in response to 19 paged political document floated by Dahal where the latter had raised questions on the ability of the incumbent government's performance.
In the next round of meeting, Oli has had demanded the withdrawal of Dahal's political paper, claiming it to be mere allegations.
