Nepal’s ruling communist party meeting fails to resolve Oli-Prachanda feud

KATHMANDU, July 21:
The much-awaited meeting of Nepal’s ruling communist party on Tuesday failed to sort out the differences between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and the rival faction led by party executive chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” as political issues did not figure during the brief deliberations held in the absence of the premier.
The meeting of the Standing Committee of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was held at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar in the national capital but it did not discuss political issues, said Ganesh Shah, member of the Standing Committee and a senior party leader.
Prime Minister Oli did not attend the meeting of the 45-member Standing Committee, he said, adding that the next meeting of the top body of the NCP will be held a week later.
The meeting took place after it was postponed seven times to allow Oli and Prachanda more time to sort out their differences.
However, on Tuesday also the meeting was deferred by two hours as Prime Minister Oli held a one-on-one meeting with party’s executive chairman “Prachanda” to settle key issues over power-sharing.
The meeting mainly discussed the natural disasters that have hit the country, he said.
The next meeting of the Standing Committee was decided to be held on July 28 at 11 am at Baluwatar to review the party’s activities, government’s performance, finalising division of work among party’s cadres and leaders, and proposed general convention among other issues, he said.
However, “informal meetings may take place among the senior leaders of the party before the Standing Committee meeting with the view to resolving the internal feud in the party,” Shah said. (PTI)